Criminals are stealing guns from legal owners in increasing numbers, fueling violent crime in America.
In 2016, more than 237,000 guns were reported stolen in the US, a more than 68% increase from 2005, an investigation from NBC and The Trace found .
In the last decade alone, 2 million guns were reported stolen, although that number is likely higher because many incidents of gun theft are never even reported. One estimate from the nonpartisan think-tank Center for American Progress puts the number of stolen guns per year at 380,000.
“The impact of gun theft is quite clear,” Frank Occhipinti, an officer with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told The Trace. “It is devastating our communities.”
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