Gun Crime Is on the Rise in California

Special Report

Published: June 11, 2025 8:02 am

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 California. The ATF traced 33,304 seized firearms in the state in 2022, compared to 16,045 in 2010. Still, adjusting for population, gun crime appears less common in California than it is across the U.S. as a whole. In 10 of the last 12 years, the number of firearm tracings for every 100,000 people in the state was below the comparable national rate.

Recently, gun owners in California are calling newly proposed legislation “a blatant attack” on citizens’ rights to own a popular firearm. The new proposal targets pistols that are easily converted to automatic weapons through the use of a Glock switch. AB 1127 is being criticized for overstepping Second Amendment rights, but those in favor of the measure say it will aid public safety.

As of 2022, the most recent year of available data, the ATF traced 85 seized firearms for every 100,000 people in the state of California, the 15th lowest gun-tracing rate among states.

This post was updated on June 11, 2025 to include the recent reaction to proposed gun legislation in California.

2010: 16,045 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2010: 43.0 per 100,000 people (22nd highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2010: 47.1 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2010: 4.8 per 100,000 people (20th highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2010: 4.8 per 100,000 people

2011: 17,285 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2011: 45.9 per 100,000 people (20th highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2011: 47.9 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2011: 4.8 per 100,000 people (20th highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2011: 4.7 per 100,000 people

2012: 18,280 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2012: 48.1 per 100,000 people (24th highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2012: 49.8 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2012: 5.0 per 100,000 people (18th highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2012: 4.7 per 100,000 people

2013: 19,625 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2013: 51.2 per 100,000 people (22nd highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2013: 52.6 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2013: 4.5 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2013: 4.5 per 100,000 people

2014: 21,265 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2014: 54.8 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2014: 53.4 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2014: 4.4 per 100,000 people (24th highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2014: 4.4 per 100,000 people

2015: 23,716 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2015: 60.6 per 100,000 people (21st highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2015: 59.3 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2015: 4.8 per 100,000 people (23rd highest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2015: 4.9 per 100,000 people

2016: 25,188 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2016: 64.2 per 100,000 people (25th highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2016: 65.4 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2016: 4.9 per 100,000 people (25th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2016: 5.4 per 100,000 people

2017: 27,051 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2017: 68.4 per 100,000 people (25th highest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2017: 73.4 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2017: 4.6 per 100,000 people (24th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2017: 5.3 per 100,000 people

2018: 27,154 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2018: 68.6 per 100,000 people (23rd lowest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2018: 77.9 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2018: 4.4 per 100,000 people (25th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2018: 5.0 per 100,000 people

2019: 26,922 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2019: 68.1 per 100,000 people (20th lowest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2019: 82.0 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2019: 4.3 per 100,000 people (24th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2019: 5.1 per 100,000 people

2020: 27,536 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2020: 70.0 per 100,000 people (16th lowest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2020: 93.9 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2020: 5.6 per 100,000 people (24th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2020: 6.5 per 100,000 people

2021: 31,609 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2021: 80.6 per 100,000 people (20th lowest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2021: 108.9 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2021: 4.4 per 100,000 people
U.S. homicide rate, 2021: 7.7 per 100,000 people

2022: 33,304 firearms traced by the ATF

Firearms traced by the ATF in California, 2022: 85.3 per 100,000 people (15th lowest)
Firearms traced by the ATF nationwide, 2022: 119.8 per 100,000 people
California homicide rate, 2022: 3.7 per 100,000 people (10th lowest)
U.S. homicide rate, 2022: 7.3 per 100,000 people

Year	Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in California	Firearm tracings per 100,000 people in the US	Total firearms traced by the ATF in California	Total firearms traced by the ATF in the US
2022	85.3	119.8	33,304	399,397
2021	80.6	108.9	31,609	361,587
2020	70.0	93.9	27,536	306,686
2019	68.1	82.0	26,922	269,250
2018	68.6	77.9	27,154	254,700
2017	68.4	73.4	27,051	239,175
2016	64.2	65.4	25,188	211,384
2015	60.6	59.3	23,716	190,538
2014	54.8	53.4	21,265	170,344
2013	51.2	52.6	19,625	166,426
2012	48.1	49.8	18,280	156,346
2011	45.9	47.9	17,285	149,276
2010	43.0	47.1	16,045	145,604

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