23.3% Increase in 1st Quarter Comparison
Rhode Island’s surge in NICS firearm backgrounds continues – comparison of the first quarter (January to March) of 2021 to all previous years shows the highest levels since the FBI began publishing this data back in 1999.
Source: https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/nics_firearm_checks_-_month_year_by_state.pdf/view
Chart created from FBI data by RICAGV.
Data Points to Increased Gun Violence
In the 2020 NICS surge, Rhode Island was second only to Michigan with a 111% increase. Correspondingly media reports of non-suicide gun deaths in Rhode Island increased 87%; non-lethal shootings were up 25% statewide, as well.
