Annual Study – Gun Death in Wisconsin – Released by Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) Educational Fund and Violence Policy Center

Washington, DC — Guns claimed the lives of 735 Wisconsin residents in 2024 according to Gun Death in Wisconsin, a new joint report by the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) Educational Fund, the state’s leading gun violence prevention organization, and the Violence Policy Center (VPC), a national research and advocacy organization working to stop gun death and injury.

The annual study (https://vpc.org/publication/gun-death-in-wisconsin/), released the week prior to the Emergency Gun Violence Summit being held in Milwaukee, on Tuesday, October 13, analyzes the most recent data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The study offers year-over-year trend analyses by sex, age, race, and ethnicity for firearm suicide and firearm homicide. It also examines gun suicides and homicides in urban and rural areas and details firearm criminal trace data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The report also presents personal stories of Wisconsin residents impacted by gun violence who have turned pain into purpose through gun violence prevention advocacy.

“Far too many families have been devastated by gun violence, and the truth is, it does not have to be this way,” stated Nick Matuszewski, executive director of WAVE Educational Fund. “The evidence could not be any clearer: Simple policy changes, like universal background checks and extreme risk laws, save lives. The safety of Wisconsinites should be — must be — the number one priority of the policymakers in our state.”

Josh Sugarmann, executive director of the Violence Policy Center, stated, “Comprehensive, reliable data drives effective public policy. Such information quantifies public health threats and aids in the development and implementation of effective solutions. This annual study’s goal is to serve as one more tool for advocates, organizations, and policymakers working to reduce gun violence in Wisconsin.”

Among the findings of the study:

• Guns claimed the lives of 735 Wisconsin residents in 2024, including 507 firearm suicides and 207 firearm homicides. That year, guns were used in 55.1 percent (507 of 920) of suicides and 77.8 percent (207 of 266) of homicides. For both suicides and homicides, the vast majority of victims were male.
• Black Wisconsin residents are disproportionately impacted by lethal gun violence. While Black residents comprise 6.3 percent of Wisconsin’s population, 64.3 percent of firearm homicide victims in 2024 were Black. In 2024, the Black firearm homicide victimization rate was more than 34 times the white firearm homicide victimization rate (34.5 per 100,000 compared to 1.0 per 100,000). Between 2018 and 2022, the firearm suicide rate among Black Wisconsin residents more than tripled — from 3.0 per 100,000 to 9.4 per 100,000, before decreasing to 4.7 per 100,000 in 2024.
• For rural Wisconsin, most gun deaths are suicides, not homicides. In 2024, 90.8 percent of all firearms deaths in rural Wisconsin were suicides. In comparison, 61.1 percent of all firearm deaths in urban areas were suicides. In rural Wisconsin, the firearm suicide rate increased from 8.2 per 100,000 in 2020 to 10.7 per 100,000 in 2024. Both rural and urban rates of firearm suicide are substantially higher than they were two decades ago.
• For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified: 68.3 percent (123 of 180) of Wisconsin homicide victims were killed by someone they knew and 77.8 percent (161 of 207) of homicides were not related to the commission of any other felony.
• In 2024, 8,169 firearms were recovered in Wisconsin and traced. Of these, 6,765 were handguns (82.8 percent). The vast majority of firearms recovered in Wisconsin (83.7 percent) were originally sourced in-state.

The report also profiles Wisconsinites whose lives have been forever changed by gun violence and now work to stop it:

“Survivors of gun violence are more than the tragedy that happened to us; our lived experiences and perspectives can help shape solutions,” said Debra Gillispie, whose story is shared in the report. “Our voices should be heard not only after a tragedy, but when decisions are being made about prevention, healing, policy, and the resources our communities need. When survivors are empowered to tell our own stories, we can change the narrative from one of tragedy alone to one of resilience, purpose, and change.”

Pardeep Kaleka, another survivor featured in the report, said, “The shooting that took my father and community members was over 14 years ago, but still impacts thousands of people today. There is so much that can be done to prevent tragedies like this; our state leaders must take action.”

The report also offers gun violence prevention policies supported by WAVE Educational Fund.

The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky.

Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Educational Fund (WAVE) is a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to preventing gun violence, injuries and deaths through education and advocacy.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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