WAUSAU (WAOW) -
How often are guns used in violent crimes in Wisconsin?
According to statistics from the Wisconsin Justice Information Center, guns were used in 58% of the 138 murders in the state in 2011. That's down from 65% in 2010 when there were 156 murders.
In cases of robbery, the percentage is similar. There were 4,605 reported robberies in 2011. Of that number, 55% involved firearms. That's up slightly from 53% in 2010.
Firearms played a role in just 17% of aggravated assaults in Wisconsin in 2011. That's percentage has fallen fairly steadily for the past five years.
Finally, in cases of rape, the use of firearms is extremely small. Just one percent of rapes involved firearms in 2011. That fell from two percent in 2010.
Here's an in-depth look at the use of firearms in violent crime in Wisconsin:
Murder
2011 – 138 (firearms used in 58%)
2010 – 156 (firearms used in 65%)
2009 – 146 (firearms used in 65%)
2008 – 147 (firearms used in 52%)
2007 – 183 (firearms used in 63%)
Rape
2011 – 1,180 (firearms used in 1%)
2010 – 1,185 (firearms used in 2%)
2009 – 1,113 (firearms used in 6%)
2008 – 1,120 (firearms used in 11%)
2007 – 1,223 (firearms used in 8%)
Robbery
2011 – 4,605 (firearms used in 55%)
2010 – 4,504 (firearms used in 53%)
2009 – 4,886 (firearms used in 54%)
2008 – 5,160 (firearms used in 52%)
2007 – 5,462 (firearms used in 51%)
Aggravated assault
2011 – 8,427 (firearms used in 17%)
2010 – 8,275 (firearms used in 22%)
2009 – 8,458 (firearms used in 23%)
2008 – 9,117 (firearms used in 22%)
2007 – 9,422 (firearms used in 24%)
For links to the studies cited in this report, visit http://oja.state.wi.us/programs/justice-statistics/docs.
