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 Michigan. The ATF traced 8,746 seized firearms in the state in 2022, compared to 3,811 in 2010. Still, adjusting for population, gun crime appears less common in Michigan than it is across the U.S. as a whole. In 11 of the last 13 years, the number of firearm tracings for every 100,000 people in the state was below the comparable national rate.
As of 2022, the most recent year of available data, the ATF traced 87 seized firearms for every 100,000 people in the state, the 18th lowest gun-tracing rate among states.
2010: 3,811 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2010: 38.6 per 100,000 people (25th highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2010: 47.1 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2010: 5.9 per 100,000 people (7th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2010: 4.8 per 100,000 people
2011: 3,046 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2011: 30.8 per 100,000 people (17th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2011: 47.9 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2011: 6.2 per 100,000 people (6th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2011: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2012: 2,821 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2012: 28.5 per 100,000 people (13th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2012: 49.8 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2012: 7.1 per 100,000 people (4th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2012: 4.7 per 100,000 people
2013: 4,175 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2013: 42.2 per 100,000 people (23rd lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2013: 52.6 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2013: 6.3 per 100,000 people (6th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2013: 4.5 per 100,000 people
2014: 3,980 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2014: 40.2 per 100,000 people (21st lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2014: 53.4 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2014: 5.5 per 100,000 people (12th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2014: 4.4 per 100,000 people
2015: 4,514 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2015: 45.5 per 100,000 people (18th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2015: 59.3 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2015: 5.9 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2015: 4.9 per 100,000 people
2016: 4,461 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2016: 44.9 per 100,000 people (17th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2016: 65.4 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2016: 6.2 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2016: 5.4 per 100,000 people
2017: 4,819 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2017: 48.4 per 100,000 people (14th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2017: 73.4 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2017: 5.7 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2017: 5.3 per 100,000 people
2018: 4,686 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2018: 46.9 per 100,000 people (11th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2018: 77.9 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2018: 5.6 per 100,000 people (17th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2018: 5.0 per 100,000 people
2019: 5,311 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2019: 53.2 per 100,000 people (12th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2019: 82.0 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2019: 5.8 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2019: 5.1 per 100,000 people
2020: 9,504 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2020: 95.3 per 100,000 people (22nd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2020: 93.9 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2020: 7.6 per 100,000 people (14th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2020: 6.5 per 100,000 people
2021: 10,691 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2021: 106.4 per 100,000 people (23rd highest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2021: 108.9 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2021: 8.9 per 100,000 people
- U.S. homicide rate, 2021: 7.7 per 100,000 people
2022: 8,746 firearms traced by the ATF
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- Firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan, 2022: 87.2 per 100,000 people (18th lowest)
- Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2022: 119.8 per 100,000 people
- Michigan homicide rate, 2022: 8.4 per 100,000 people (15th highest)
- U.S. homicide rate, 2022: 7.3 per 100,000 people
Source: Sam Stebbins / Courtesy of 24/7 Wall St.
| Year | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in Michigan | Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in the US | Total firearms traced by the ATF in Michigan | Total firearms traced by the ATF in the US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 87.2 | 119.8 | 8,746 | 399,397 |
| 2021 | 106.4 | 108.9 | 10,691 | 361,587 |
| 2020 | 95.3 | 93.9 | 9,504 | 306,686 |
| 2019 | 53.2 | 82.0 | 5,311 | 269,250 |
| 2018 | 46.9 | 77.9 | 4,686 | 254,700 |
| 2017 | 48.4 | 73.4 | 4,819 | 239,175 |
| 2016 | 44.9 | 65.4 | 4,461 | 211,384 |
| 2015 | 45.5 | 59.3 | 4,514 | 190,538 |
| 2014 | 40.2 | 53.4 | 3,980 | 170,344 |
| 2013 | 42.2 | 52.6 | 4,175 | 166,426 |
| 2012 | 28.5 | 49.8 | 2,821 | 156,346 |
| 2011 | 30.8 | 47.9 | 3,046 | 149,276 |
| 2010 | 38.6 | 47.1 | 3,811 | 145,604 |
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