Two of every three killings in America ARE by gunfire…

Yet gun control politics remains mostly a contested and taboo subject ….

Killings in the United States jumped nearly 30 percent last year, according to FBI data released Monday that indicate a growing number of gun-related slayings amid the pandemic.

The FBI said murder and manslaughter rose 29.4 percent — the largest one-year increase since such the federal government began compiling national figures in the 1960s. That historic increase has been known for some time, and has sparked concern from police officials and prosecutors. But the FBI release of data compiled from thousands of law enforcement agencies formally confirms the trend.

Overall, violent crime rose 5.6 percent in 2020, while property crimes fell 7.8 percent, the FBI said. Assaults increased 12 percent, according to the bureau.

Criminologists and police officials have been studying the possible explanations for the sudden sharp increase in killings — from societal changes due to coronavirus, to policing, to increased gun sales. So far this year, officials are seeing a further increase in homicides, but not as pronounced as last year.

The FBI data also shows how much killing in America is fueled by shootings. Gun homicides account for more than two out of every three such deaths, according to officials.

Republicans and Democrats disagree on what is causing the increase in homicides, and how to stop it…

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