A watchdog claims that gun deaths now outpace motor vehicle deaths in 21 states and the District of Columbia. One of those states is Illinois.
The study compiled by the Violence Policy Center analyzes data from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
The report showed that in 2014, the most recent year for which data could be found, Illinois saw 1,179 gun deaths and 1,075 motor vehicle deaths.
Gun suicides, homicides, and fatal unintentional shootings were counted in the report’s tally for gun deaths. Meanwhile, motor vehicle deaths included both occupants and pedestrians.
Data showed that in 2009, 10 states had more gun deaths than motor vehicle deaths. However, that number increased to 21 in 2014.
National Rifle Association spokesperson Lars Dalseide said in a statement “comparing two unrelated events such as vehicle deaths and firearm deaths is like comparing apples to oranges.”
“But that's nothing new for the gun control crowd as they continue to focus on causation even when there is no correlation,” Dalseide added. “You have to remember, just because the rooster crows doesn't mean he made the sun rise.”
