With anti-gun radicals running in aghast circles over the hundreds of millions of firearms that Americans own, there’s a bit of data that they should check out.
The Reload reported on a recent analysis that showed 2026 is on pace to have the lowest murder rate in the U.S. With so many weapons in so many hands, how can this be?
Murder rates fell last year and could see an unprecedented fall in 2026
AH Datalytics Founder Jeff Asher released encouraging numbers reflecting the nation’s battle with violent crime. Final FBI totals for 2025 are not yet available, but he expects a significant decline from previous years.
Asher said that “even if it didn’t, then a record low feels like a foregone conclusion sitting here in the first half of 2026.” The early years of the new millennium showed a slow but steady decline in the murder rate, but there was a spike during the Covid lockdowns and social unrest of 2020.
Now, that trend is back in a positive direction, and Asher revealed just how significant an improvement this year could close with.
More guns obviously do not equate to more murders
“We have lots of data showing a big drop in murder is happening in 2026,” the researcher wrote. “The Gun Violence Archive is showing a 10.3 percent drop in 2026 relative to 2025 as of mid-May, and the Real Time Crime Index and Major Cities Chiefs Association reported 19.9 and 17.7 percent drops through March respectively.”
What does this mean? According to Asher, this year’s Crime in the Nation report could be historic.
He said the nation is on pace to record the fewest murders since 1967 and a murder rate less than 4 per 100,000. The FBI has a time-consuming process of collection, revision, and finalization before the report is officially released.
This is great news for the shooting community, though it will be twisted somehow by gun rights opponents to avoid the obvious conclusion that more guns do not equate to more crime.
Imagine if the data showed the opposite trend. Anti-gun radicals would scream from the mountaintops that the Second Amendment is the cause for blood flowing in the streets and that the only possible solution is to ban firearms.
There’s no better way to show your patriotism than with merch that speaks before you do.
Defend America is more than a name, it’s a stand for freedom, resilience, and the values this country was built on. Every tee, hat, and mug is a symbol of unapologetic pride. Wear it loud, wear it proud, and let the world know: freedom isn’t negotiable.
Click the link below to join the movement.