The massacre in Maine two days ago – where a gunman killed at least 18 unsuspecting citizens and still eludes arrest – has once again opened the public debate and political confrontation between Republicans and Democrats in the US on the hot issue of gun ownership in the country.

In the state of Maine, gun laws are relatively lax. Authorities do not require a permit to purchase or carry a gun, and other states’ regulations do not apply under which law enforcement officers are allowed to temporarily disarm those they deem “dangerous” to public safety. Thus, about half of adults live in a household that has at least one gun, according to a 2020 RAND Corporation study.

As of 2012, there have been about 16 to 19 homicides in Maine annuallywhile 18 people lost their lives in just one night on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the deadly mass attack in the city, Lewiston, the American media publish details of the organization Gun Violence Archive (GVA)

According to her, at least 35,275 people have lost their lives to gun violence in the US since the beginning of the year – of those, 1,157 were teenagers and 246 were children.

The number is frightening as it averages out to almost 118 deaths in shooting incidents every day.

The 35,275 deaths also include civilian suicides with weapons – which are also the largest number.

Until October 26, 2023, they were 19,734 gun suicides, an average of about 66 deaths per day.

Mass assaults with weapons have increased dramatically

The number of mass murders –with four or more victims– has skyrocketed in the US since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2022 were recorded 647 such attacks and this yearbased on the trend that was forming in July, it was predicted that they will reach the 679.

THE the deadliest armed attack in modern US history was in 2017 in Las Vegaswhen a 64-year-old American opened fire from a hotel room on thousands of music festival-goers, killing 58 people.