Firearm sales have hit historic highs in the U.S. in recent years, and the ongoing proliferation of firearms may be fueling a rise in gun crime.
When firearms are recovered at a crime scene or taken from a suspect, they are often reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for tracing. In these cases, the ATF assists in criminal investigations by using serial numbers and other markings to determine when and where a firearm was originally purchased — and over the last 12 years, firearm-related offenses have been taking up a growing share of federal resources.
Between 2010 and 2022, the number of guns traced by the ATF surged by 174%, from 145,600 to 399,400, climbing by anywhere from 3% to 18% in a single year. Most homicides in the U.S. are committed with a firearm, and over the same period, the national homicide rate climbed by over 50%.
While not all guns traced by the ATF were used in a crime — and not all firearms used for illicit purposes are traced — federal tracing data offers valuable insight into trends and geographic patterns related to gun violence in the United States.
Mirroring the national trend, gun tracings are up sharply in Florida. The ATF traced 30,327 seized firearms in the state in 2022, compared to 12,430 in 2010. Adjusting for population, gun crime has long been more common in Florida than it is across the U.S. as a whole. In each of the last 13 years, the number of firearm tracings for every 100,000 people in the state was above the comparable national rate.
As of 2022, the most recent year of available data, the ATF traced 136 seized firearms for every 100,000 people in the state, the 17th highest gun-tracing rate among states.
2010: 12,430 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2010: 66.0 per 100,000 people (8th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2010: 47.1 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2010: 5.2 per 100,000 people (15th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2010: 4.8 per 100,000 people
2011: 13,512 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2011: 70.9 per 100,000 people (6th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2011: 47.9 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2011: 5.2 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2011: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2012: 13,694 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2012: 70.9 per 100,000 people (8th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2012: 49.8 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2012: 5.2 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2012: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2013: 13,461 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2013: 68.8 per 100,000 people (11th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2013: 52.6 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2013: 5.0 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2013: 4.5 per 100,000 people
2014: 14,428 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2014: 72.5 per 100,000 people (10th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2014: 53.4 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2014: 4.9 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2014: 4.4 per 100,000 people
2015: 14,293 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2015: 70.5 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2015: 59.3 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2015: 5.1 per 100,000 people (20th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2015: 4.9 per 100,000 people
2016: 15,444 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2016: 74.9 per 100,000 people (16th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2016: 65.4 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2016: 5.4 per 100,000 people (23rd highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2016: 5.4 per 100,000 people
2017: 16,864 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2017: 80.4 per 100,000 people (18th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2017: 73.4 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2017: 5.0 per 100,000 people (25th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2017: 5.3 per 100,000 people
2018: 18,673 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2018: 87.7 per 100,000 people (19th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2018: 77.9 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2018: 5.2 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2018: 5.0 per 100,000 people
2019: 19,396 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2019: 90.3 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2019: 82.0 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2019: 5.2 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2019: 5.1 per 100,000 people
2020: 22,530 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2020: 106.2 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2020: 93.9 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2020: 5.9 per 100,000 people (25th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2020: 6.5 per 100,000 people
2021: 28,666 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2021: 131.6 per 100,000 people (15th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2021: 108.9 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2021: N/A per 100,000 people
- U.S. homicide rate, 2021: 7.7 per 100,000 people
2022: 30,327 firearms traced by the ATF
Source: Kasra Keighobady / iStock via Getty Images
- Firearms traced by the ATF in Florida, 2022: 136.3 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2022: 119.8 per 100,000 people
- Florida homicide rate, 2022: 5.6 per 100,000 people (18th lowest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2022: 7.3 per 100,000 people
Source: Courtesy of 24/7 Wall St.
| Year | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in Florida | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in the US | Total firearms traced by the ATF in Florida | Total firearms traced by the ATF in the US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 136.3 | 119.8 | 30,327 | 399,397 |
| 2021 | 131.6 | 108.9 | 28,666 | 361,587 |
| 2020 | 106.2 | 93.9 | 22,530 | 306,686 |
| 2019 | 90.3 | 82.0 | 19,396 | 269,250 |
| 2018 | 87.7 | 77.9 | 18,673 | 254,700 |
| 2017 | 80.4 | 73.4 | 16,864 | 239,175 |
| 2016 | 74.9 | 65.4 | 15,444 | 211,384 |
| 2015 | 70.5 | 59.3 | 14,293 | 190,538 |
| 2014 | 72.5 | 53.4 | 14,428 | 170,344 |
| 2013 | 68.8 | 52.6 | 13,461 | 166,426 |
| 2012 | 70.9 | 49.8 | 13,694 | 156,346 |
| 2011 | 70.9 | 47.9 | 13,512 | 149,276 |
| 2010 | 66.0 | 47.1 | 12,430 | 145,604 |
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