Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has raised alarms about what he claims is a coordinated effort between the FBI, CDC and media outlets to hide data that shows how often citizens use firearms to stop crime. Massie referenced an article by Dr. John R. Lott Jr., who argues that the suppression of this data serves the gun control agenda.
Dr. Lott’s research reveals that the CDC removed information about defensive gun uses from its website after pressure from a gun control group. These estimates, which ranged from 64,000 to 3 million instances of defensive gun use annually, were seen as damaging to efforts to pass stricter gun laws. According to Lott, this decision was a political move to minimize data that supports the argument for gun rights.
Lott also pointed out flaws in the FBI’s reporting of active shooter cases. He claims the agency’s definition of “active shooter” is too broad, counting incidents where no one was even hit. The FBI reported that armed civilians stopped only 14 out of 350 active shooter incidents from 2014 to 2023. However, Lott’s Crime Prevention Research Center found that armed citizens actually intervened in 180 of 515 incidents.
As the debate over gun control intensifies ahead of the 2024 election, Massie warns that this suppression of key data could mislead the public and policymakers alike. He argues that the Second Amendment is intended to ensure Americans can protect themselves from violent threats.
