Guides
- Is Drunk Driving a Felony, What’s the Punishment, and How Many People Die From It?
- What is Domestic Abuse vs. Domestic Violence, and What Are the Differences?
- What is a Roommate Agreement, What Are the Benefits, and What Should You Include?
- What is Public Indecency, and What Are the Laws, Charges, and Penalties?
- What Are the Pocket Knives Laws, Legal Lengths, and Rules for Illegal Types?
- What is Aiding and Abetting and What Are the Punishments and Charges for It?
- Where Can You Be Naked in Public and Celebrate National Nude Day?
- What Is Child Custody and How to File for It Without an Attorney
- What to Do if Someone Has Stolen Your Driver's License Number and How to Replace It
- What is Bail Jumping: Punishments and Jail Time for Failure to Appear in Court
- Dating a Minor: Is It Legal and What Is the Age of Consent?
- How to Conduct a Dating Profile Search and Find Someone on a Dating Site
- What is Personally Identifiable Information and Why is PII Protection Important?
- What Is a No-Fault Divorce, When Did It Start and Why It Can Be Bad
- The Differences Between Moving And Non-Moving Violations
- What are Aggravating and Mitigating Factors in a Criminal Case?
- What Is ADR: Process, Meaning And Examples
- Definition and Differences Between Conspiracy Theories and Conspiracy Charge
- How to Get a Divorce: Process, Stages and Required Papers
- Embezzlement as a White-Collar Crime: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
- What Is a Car Registration, How Much Does It Cost and How to Get One?
- Types of Email Archiving and How to Retrieve Them
- How to Protect Your Car From Theft or Report It Stolen
- How to Organize and Protect Your Personal Documents?
- How to Find and Reconnect With Old Friends: Proven Techniques That Work
- Business Records: Types, Examples and How to Search
- Right to Privacy: Is It Protected By The Constitution?
- Ownership and Tenancy in Severalty in Real Estate
- What Different Types of Marriages Are There?
- Should You Believe in Age Gap Rules Calculation
- What Is Driver’s License Status and How To Check It
- What Is Civil Marriage: Pros and Cons
- Top 5 Most Famous Serial Killers Of All Times
- What Was The Subprime Mortgage Crisis
- Most Famous Murder Cases Throughout History
- The Dynamics and Consequences of Ghosting Someone in Personal Relationships
- What is Incarceration? Definition, Process, and Impact
- What is A Mortgage-Backed Security (MBS)
- Is AI Dangerous? Unveiling the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
- What is a VPN?
- 7 Cybersecurity Threats to Look Out For
- What Are Debtors and Creditors, and What Are Their Legal Rights and Differences?
- What Are the Types of Business Ownership and How Can You Transfer It?
- What is a Tax Lien, How Does It Work & How to Stop One?
- What is the Difference Between Civil and Criminal Cases?
- Property Ownership Types You Should Know About
- Community Safety Initiatives: How to Make Your Neighborhood Safer
- What is a Lien and How Lien Priority Works?
- Campus Safety 101: Essential Tips for a Secure College Life
- How to Know If Someone Is Divorced?
- What are the CCPA and CPRA?
- How to Get Over a Breakup?
- U.S. Violent Crime Definition & Statistics
- The 5 Steps You Should Know When Adopting a Child
- What Is Criminal Profiling and Is It Really Effective?
- A Full Guide on Reasonable Suspicion vs Probable Cause
- What Is Email Encryption & How to Encrypt an Email?
- What is a White Collar Crime? A Full Guide
- Rental Scams: How Do They Work & How to Catch Scammers?
- A Complete Guide on Parole vs Probation
- How to Submit a Data Removal Request and Hide Results About You on Google Search
- A Full Guide on House Arrests
- A Complete Guide on Marriage and Civil Union
- How to Safeguard Yourself and Deal with Marriage Debt
- What is Eyewitness Testimony?
- A Full Guide on Gentrification: Why is it a Problem?
- 8 Most Dangerous Twitter Scams and How to Avoid Them
- Pretexting Attacks: Common Types and How to Deal with Them
- How Do Zelle Scams Work and Things to Look Out For
- What Is Business Email Compromise, How to Defend Against It?
- What Is a Wellness Check, What Does It Consist of and How to Call For It?
- What Is a Temporary Restraining Order and How Do You Get One?
- What is Smishing And How to Prevent it?
- Spam Emails: Types and Ways to Block Them
- Email Masking & Masked Email Addresses
- Spot a Fake QR Code & Avoid Getting Scammed
- Common NFT Scams to Look Out For & Ways to Avoid the Fake Ones
- What to Do If You Witness a Crime?
- What Is Skip Tracing and How Does It Work?
- How to Avoid Common Venmo Scams and Protect Yourself From Scammers
- Can You Get Child Custody If You Have a Criminal Record?
- Common Amazon Scams and Ways on How to Avoid Them
- How to Find Liens on a Property?
- Multiple Bankruptcies: How Often You Can File One?
- How to Adopt a Child in the US?
- I Lost My Birth Certificate. What Should I Do?
- Warning Signs of Job Scams and How to Protect Yourself
- What Is a Ban the Box Law?
- What is Expungement?
- How to Transfer Property After Death Without Will
- What Is a Police Blotter?
- How to Appeal a Parking Ticket
- What Is a Clean Driving Record, How It Affects Insurance and How to Keep It Clean
- What is Title Washing?
- What is Extortion?
- How To Run a Motorcycle Title Search
- What Is a Digital Footprint?
- What is Anti Money Laundering (AML)?
- Guide on How to Get a Death Certificate
- What is the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)?
- What is Multi Factor Authentication?
- What is a Citizen's Arrest?
- How to Know that You’re in an Obsessive Relationship
- Guide to Online Survey Scams
- 13 Different Types of Police Officers
- Full Guide on Work-from-Home Scams
- Is Private Browsing Really Private?
- Different Types of Felony Classes & Charges
- What is Juice Jacking?
- What are Romance Scams?
- Traffic Offenses and Violations
- What is Doxing and How to Prevent it?
- What are Spam Text Messages
- The U.S. Death Penalty: History and Modern Usage
- What Are the Different Types of Bankruptcies and Which One Is Right for You?
- Common eBay Scams to be Aware of
- What Happens When You are Booked in Jail?
- What Information Can You Get From A License Plate
- Different Types of Assets
- How to Search and Find Family Members and Relatives Who Are Long Lost?
- Car History Guide, Benefits, Importance
- Am I Dating a Stalker?
- How to Find out if Your Partner is Cheating
- What Are the Types and Tools of Packet Sniffing Attacks?
- Intellectual Property Law and Rights
- Cyberstalking And Its Dangers
- A Guide to Phishing Scams
- What is Organized Crime?
- I’ve Lost My Driver’s License: What Should I Do?
- Misdemeanor Charges: Types, Classes, and Penalties
- A Complete Guide On Catfishing
- Vanity Phone Numbers: Why They Are Important and How to Get One
- What Happens When You Get Arrested
- Guide to Find Information About a Person Online
- How To Find And Claim Unclaimed Money
- What Happens if You Violate Probation
- Guide on How to Remove a Mugshot from the Internet
- How to Stay Safe on Public WiFi
- What Is an Outstanding Warrant and How Can You Check if You Have One?
- Different Types of Car Insurance
- What Is Cyptojacking?
- What Is Email Security?
- What Is the Deep Web and What Can Be Found There?
- What Happens When You Declare Bankruptcy
- How Divorce Settlements are Calculated
- What are Common Methods of Social Engineering
- What is the Difference Between a General Lien and a Specific Lien?
- How to Detect Odometer Rollback
- Different Types of Probation
- Finding forgotten life insurance policies
- What is Bearer Bond and Why the US Banned it
- Everything you need to know about small claims court
- Moral Turpitude: Definition, Examples, and Much More!
- Misdemeanor vs Felony
- How to Read a VIN Number and What It Tells You
- How to Find Out Who Hacked Your Cell Phone
- How Long Does a Misdemeanor Stay On Your Criminal Record?
- The Paypal Phishing Scam You Should Care to Avoid
- How Many Different Types of State License Plates Are There and Which Is the Standard One?
- Effects of Cyberbullying: Complete Guide for Parents
- What is the DPPA?
- Is Petty Theft a Misdemeanor and What Are the Consequences?
- What is a Life Sentence? Life in Prison
- Find out How to Check if Someone Has a Warrant Online for Free
- Is a Marriage Certificate the Same as a Marriage License and What Are the Differences?
- The Ten Most Popular Celebrity Mugshots
- How to Find Out if Someone is Married?
- How to Stop Phone Number Spoofing?
- How To Avoid Probate
- Dealing with abandoned vehicles in your neighborhood
- How to Find Someone's Cell Phone Number by Their Name
- Who Are the Worst Drivers in America?
- How To Find Unclaimed Money From Deceased Relatives
- What is a Digital License Plate?
- How to Find out if Someone Died?
- Murder vs Manslaughter: The Differences and Definitions
- How to Hire a Private Investigator?
- What Is a Number Neighbor?
- How to Find Out if Someone was Arrested
- How to Find Someone's Birthday?
- What is a Car Title
- How to Obtain a Police Report and Court Records?
- What is the Punishment for Filing a False Police Report?
- Prison Valley: Look inside Prison Town
- How to Get Custody of a Child Without Going to Court?
- How to Find Someone’s Social Media Profiles?
- What to Do if Your Phone Is Tapped?
- What Is a Deed in Real Estate?
- Where Was The First US Federal Penitentiary Established?
- Can You Track Someone's Location with Just a Phone Number?
- What Is a Restricted Phone Call and How to Block The Number?
- Who is the Most Dangerous Prisoner in the World?
- Poshmark Scams: How to Prevent and Report Them
- What to Do When Someone Is Missing: Practical Steps on How to Find a Missing Person
- How to Send Money to an Inmate in a Prison or Jail
- DUI vs DWI: The Difference Between DUI and DWI
- How Long After Buying a Car Do You Need to Register it?
- How to Find Someone's Address?
- What is an Ignition Interlock Device?
- What Is Situational Crime Prevention?
- How Can I Find Out Who Called Me for Free?
- Gun Free Zone Statistics and Facts
- Online Threats and Digital Security: Trends, Types and Most Common Examples
- Cold Cases: Best Practices For Police Officers and Investigators
- Court Order: Definition, Types and Examples
- What Does a Fingerprint Background Report Show?
- How to Check Your Criminal Record?
- What is Tort Law?
- How to Calculate Child Support
- Property Rights: Definition, and Characteristics
- 12 Common Reasons for Public Records Request
- What is Antitrust Law?
- Virginia Gun Confiscation Law
- Ways to Know Who Owns a House
- Neighborhood Watch Program
- How to Perform a Mugshot Search?
- Crime Mapping
- Safest Colleges in Florida
- Veterans Guide to Cars and Driving
- U.S. Correctional System: Structure, Incarceration and Facts
- License Plate Laws in the US
- How to Find Out If Someone Is in Jail?
- Email Hacking: Laws, Penalties and Protection
- Romeo and Juliet Laws
- Holiday Safety for Home and Family
- Differences between Criminal and Arrest Records
- Public Records and Property History: What is Public Information and What Isn’t
- How to Look up Immigration Inmates?
- Famous Prisons in the USA
- How to Find Out Who Owns a Vehicle Using Reverse Lookup Tools
- How to Search for Your Family Tree?
- The Federal Judicial Center
- Mass Incarceration in the USA
- What is COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)?
- Data Safety After The Capital One Breach
- Scholarships Guide for Students
- Complete Guide to Student Safety
- What Is a Vehicle Identification Number?
- Determining Divorce: 5 Types of Divorce You Must Know
- Sex Offenders: Complete Guide to be Protected
- New Privacy Laws and Public Records
- Motor Vehicle Registration in the US
- Digital Token Age: Security Laws and Regulations
- Facial Recognition Technology and Legal Restrictions
- What Shows up in a Background Report
- What is Repossession of a Car?
- Protecting Yourself from Phone Scams
- Human Rights in the Prison
- What are Business Competition Laws?
- What is a Hate Crime?
- Starting a Business and Business Licenses
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Guidance
- Criminal Justice Reform
- Tax Reform Impact and Changes To Know
- Self-Driving Cars: Laws and Regulations
- White-Collar Crime: Statistics and Facts
- Have You Been Arrested? Cases You'll Need a Lawyer
- How to Get a Driver's License in the US
- Car Theft in the US: Statistics and Facts
- Identity Theft Passport Program
- Changing your Name after Marriage: What You Need to Know
- Finding the Perfect Roommate: Dos and Donts
- What to Do in a Car Accident?
- Property Crimes: How to Burglar Proof Your Home
- Consumer Laws in the US: What Do They Mean for a Customer and a Business Owner
- Child Trafficking: The Scope, Understanding, and Prevention
- Business Assets: A Guide to the Financial Health of your Business
- Guide To The College Application: How, When and Where to Apply
- Which States Have “Stand Your Ground” Laws?
- Adolescent Depression Symptoms and Causes
- Things to Know About the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory System
- Inheritance in the US: With & Without a Will
- Online Dating Safety Guide for Men and Women
- Sexual Abuse in the U.S.: Laws and Statistics
- Supporting Children After Divorce: Child Custody Options
- Halloween Horrors Come to Life: Holidays Crimes in the U.S.
- Charity Scams in the U.S.: Be Aware and Protected
- Webcam Hacking & Spying in the US
- Freedom of Religion in the U.S.
- Senior Financial Scams: How are the Elderly Targeted and How to Avoid It
- Catcalling: Is it illegal? How to Deal With It
- A Complete Guide To Insurance Fraud: Common Types and Prevention
- Sextortion: What to Do if You Became a Victim of Blackmailing
- Concealed Carry: How to Protect Yourself on Campus
- Debt Collection Laws | Fair Debt Collection Act: What You Need To Know
- How Much Is My House Worth? Ultimate Guide to Home Buying and Selling
- Traits of Sociopaths, Are They Dangerous and How to Deal With Them?
- Who Are Your Neighbors and How to Find Out About Them
- Learn How to Find Your Birth Parents
- The Importance of Public Records in Law
- What's The Difference Between a Jail And a Prison?
- Homeowner's Insurance Coverage & Common Claims
- The Disturbing Facts of Gun Violence in America
- How to Use Public Records in Marketing
- Best & Worst Cities for Driving
- LGBT Bullying
- A Parent's Guide to Keeping Your Child Drug-Free
- What You Need to Know When Buying or Selling a Used Car
- Guide to Filing for Bankruptcy
- Making Your DMV Experience Fast And Easy
- How to Appeal the Court's Decision
- How to Fight a Traffic Ticket?
- How to Prepare For an Active Shooter Incident
- How to Protect Yourself Against Cyber Attacks
- How to Report a Crime?
- Keeping Your Neighborhood Safe For Your Family
- School Safety and Security Standards
- 50 Things to Know When Filing for Divorce
- Tips for Back-to-School Safety and Security
- A User's Guide to Warrants
- What to Do When You Are Stopped By the Police
Gun Free Zone Statistics and Facts
Gun possession and use is a highly-politicized topic in the U.S., with some people believing that guns should be permitted and controlled while others believe gun possession and usage is guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and therefore a right that exists outside of attempts to regulate them. This division puts every definition in question including what does gun free zone mean, and what is a mass shooting. The F.B.I.’s statistic on active shooting incidents does not require casualties.
What is a Gun Free Zone?
A gun free zone is an area within which guns are not allowed to be carried except by qualified law enforcement personnel – and, oftentimes, others with concealed carry permits. These zones are most often:
- surrounding schools, parks, and playgrounds;
- include hospitals;
- may be established locally to incorporate colleges, bars, shopping malls, and recreation facilities like stadiums.
In some states with permissive gun laws and limited regulation of firearms, there is an ongoing effort to eliminate restrictions on concealed weapons carried on college campuses. Proponents argue that law-abiding gun owners, with their judgment records considered, are capable of preventing mass shootings on campuses. The belief is that these responsible individuals may be able to intervene effectively, neutralizing assailants before they can inflict significant harm, and possibly before law enforcement arrives on the scene.
Do Most Shootings Take Place in Gun-Free Zones?
There were 277 active shooter incidents in the United States in the period 2000-2018, according to F.B.I. statistics. While the federal agency tracks the number of shootings, locations, number of victims, and other statistics about such events, little else is an undisputed fact.
Gun rights advocates say that gun-free zones are a better predictor of gun violence than criminal records. F.B.I. gun-free zone statistics dispute that claim.
What States Has the Most Gun Owners?
Texas is a gun-lover’s state with few restrictions on carrying or permitting weapons. The state does not allow local jurisdictions to create gun-free zones and relaxed its laws on weapons on public college campuses in 2017 yet allows the colleges to create their gun-free zones in “sensitive areas.” The University of Texas at Austin allows concealed carry of weapons in many parts of campus except for the stadium. In 2019, in light of several mass shooting events in the state, Texas legislators relaxed laws limiting concealed carry in schools, houses of worship, and hospitals.
Gun Free Zone Laws and Regulations
Gun Free School Zone Act
A Gun-Free School Zones Act was passed by Congress as part of the 1990 crime bill, severely limiting anyone’s ability to possess or carry a gun within 1,000 feet of a public or parochial school. There were limits to the law, including allowances for hunters on adjacent land, for law enforcement officials, and for those with guns used in sporting events. Although the U.S. Supreme Court declared the original law unconstitutional, some minor tweaks in 1996 included the words “interstate commerce” and it has been upheld by lower courts since then, including many convictions. One conviction under the law was for a woman who had a gun in her apartment within 1,000 feet of a school.
Since the gun-free zone was established around schools many states have moved to disassemble the law, such as Idaho’s overriding law that says colleges and universities cannot decide their gun-free zones. Likewise, Tennessee allows even non-students to carry concealed weapons on campuses. Virginia, Colorado, and Oregon have had similar rulings that licensed gun owners may not be kept from carrying legal weapons in common areas of colleges and universities.
Post Office as a Gun Free Zone
Many federal buildings and properties, including courthouses, federal office buildings, Veterans Administration hospitals, and post offices are included in gun-free zones. Military bases historically banned weapons but regulations have relaxed since recent events such as the Fort Hood mass shooting events in 2009 and 2014 when disgruntled soldiers opened fire on unarmed fellow soldiers.
Some businesses have declared their outlets as gun-free zones, including Whole Foods, Disney World, Costco, and Waffle House. Other retail stores and entertainment establishments have not, making the task of tracking gun use in gun-free zones very challenging.
Gun Free Zone Statistics
It’s difficult to establish non-controversial facts about gun free zones except to note that the zones are controversial. At issue:
- Mass shootings are not defined and counted the same by different groups as some require four or more victims while others say the threshold is three or more victims.
- Some do not count shootings in the commission of a crime like robbery the same as a school shooting, further skewing statistics.
- The patchwork of state and local laws and regulations makes it impossible to determine if gun-free zones are effective or if, as some say, they only create opportunities for those seeking to harm others.
- Those who claim that arming more individuals will reduce mass shootings have not been able to provide proof.
- The Rand organization, a nonpartisan think tank, studied the issue and determined that there were 30 firearm accidents and other incidents in schools involving armed resource officers in the period 2014-2017, which represents more potentially hazardous incidents than armed intruders or active shooters over the same period.
FBI Gun Free Zone Statistics
- There were 277 active shooter incidents in the years 2000-2017 with a total of 2,430 victims;
- The majority of incidents took place in commercial areas (about 43 percent) with 26 percent of those being areas open to pedestrian traffic;
- Educational facilities represented 20 percent of the total, with 15 percent of those at K-12 schools;
- Government properties were nearly 9.5 percent of the total, with military installations just 2.5 percent of that;
- the year 2017 saw30 active shooter incidents with 729 victims, the highest tally of any year studied (the Las Vegas music festival shooting resulted in 59 dead and over 800 wounded by one estimate).
Conclusion
In summary, exploring gun-free zones, gun violence locations, state firearm ownership, and related policies reveals the complex dynamics of firearm regulation. While gun-free zones aim to enhance safety, their effectiveness depends on various factors. Gun violence is concentrated in areas with higher crime rates, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies. State differences in firearm ownership highlight the diverse attitudes and policies. Analyzing policies and statistics underscores the delicate balance between individual rights and public safety. To address these challenges, a nuanced, collaborative approach considering evidence-based measures and societal context is crucial for fostering safer environments.
FAQs
Is it Illegal to Conceal Carry in a Gun Free Zone?
Violation of federal gun-free zone laws can elevate a gun possession charge from a misdemeanor to a felony and even to a federal-level offense.
Are Gun Free Zones Safer?
The safety of gun-free zones is a subject of debate. While the intention behind such zones is to enhance public safety by restricting firearms, their effectiveness depends on factors like enforcement, overall gun control measures, and public awareness. Some argue that gun-free zones create safer environments, while others contend that these policies may not prevent determined individuals from committing acts of violence. The debate underscores the need for comprehensive approaches to gun violence prevention that consider various factors beyond the designation of specific zones.
Where Do Most Mass Shootings Occur?
Mass shootings can occur in various settings, but common locations include educational institutions, workplaces, and public spaces like shopping malls or entertainment venues. These incidents often unfold in areas where there is a concentration of people, making it crucial for communities and institutions to address safety measures and implement effective prevention strategies.
How to Reduce the Risk of Mass Shootings?
Reducing the risk of mass shootings involves a comprehensive strategy. This includes enforcing gun control measures, enhancing mental health support, implementing early intervention programs, engaging communities in education and reporting, improving security measures, monitoring social media for warning signs, considering ammunition regulations, investing in research, coordinating among relevant agencies, and promoting community policing to build trust. This multifaceted approach aims to address the complex factors contributing to mass shootings.