Newly purchased firearms may play a role in US murder surge, data suggests

However, lack of information limits understanding whether the data suggests heightened enforcement or improved reporting

Murder rose at an unprecedented rate in the United States in 2020 and likely rose again in 2021, but concrete answers about why this surge occurred have been hard to come by.

New data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) provides enticing clues regarding the potential role of newly purchased firearms in the nationwide increase in murders.