The Weapon Shift: How Murder Weapons Are Changing

What the Data Shows

The share of murders committed with firearms has remained stubbornly high — around 78% in 2024. But the composition of murder weapons has shifted in important ways over the past five years:

• Handguns dominate: Among gun murders where the type is specified, handguns account for the vast majority. Rifles (including all semi-automatic rifles) account for roughly 3% of gun murders.
• Knives declining: Knife murders fell from 1,806 in 2020 to 1,566 in 2024.
• Personal weapons declining: Murders by hands, fists, and feet dropped similarly.
• "Other" category: Includes blunt objects, poison, narcotics, fire, and other means.

2024 Weapon Breakdown

The Rifle Question

One of the most politically contentious data points: rifles of all types (bolt-action, lever-action, semi-automatic including AR-15-style) account for roughly 400-500 murders per year. This is fewer than knives (~1,500), blunt objects (~280), or even personal weapons (~630). Mass shootings with rifles receive enormous media attention, but by volume, handguns are the overwhelmingly dominant murder weapon.

This doesn't settle the gun policy debate — mass casualty potential, lethality at distance, and rate of fire are all relevant considerations beyond raw counts. But anyone discussing gun violence policy should be aware of these numbers.

The Narcotics Factor

An emerging category: murders by narcotics (poisoning with drugs, often fentanyl) numbered226 in 2024. Some legal scholars argue that fentanyl dealers whose product kills users should be charged with murder — and indeed, "drug-induced homicide" prosecutions have increased dramatically.