What is worse: Knife crime or Gun crime?

Question

Lliam · Accepted Answer

Both are equally bad. But I would rather get shot than slashed or stabbed to death.

In 2024 in the U. S. there were:
1,566 homicides by knives or other cutting instruments.
401 by rifles (including those "ultra deadly" (sarc.) AR-15s).
149 by shotgun.
6,246 by handgun,
4,565 by firearm type not stated.

So 11,361 gun deaths compared to 1,566 knife and other cutting instrument deaths = 7.25x more gun deaths. But I would still rather get shot than cut up and mutilated.

I'm still not worried about the numbers since gun deaths barely register when compared to other causes of death. For example, around 40,000 people die from accidental falls, 40,000 from accidental poisoning, 40,000 from motor vehicles, 250,000 from preventable hospital error, not to mention pharmaceutical and illicit drug deaths, and diseases. Who is hysterical about those causes of death? Aside from illicit drugs, nobody even talks about them.

And the FBI says that 80% of shootings are gang related. So, around 2,270 gun homicides in all of 2024 were not gang related but many were robbery related. That's actually a tiny number out of a population of over 340 million and around 450 million people in the country at any one time.

The hyperbole about gun violence that we hear from "gun control" organizations is designed to strip Americans of rights, not prevent deaths.

MisterWack · Accepted Answer

There’s a good reason soldiers don’t go into war with just knives, instead take guns.
They are mass killing machines that lay waste to innocent human life.

It is far easier to disarm an assailant who is wielding a knife than it is a gun, especially if there’s a law enforcement officer who sees the knife they can protect the civilians with his firearm however less likely to engage a firearm more powerful than their own, given what we saw on camera in Uvalde, Texas years back when cops refused to leave the line and prolonged their response to stop the gunman due to being scared.
Knives are like one person one stab, guns can absolutely kill more effectively and efficiently which is why I’d rather have knife violence than gun violence in that case.

We can take measures to stopping guns from falling into the wrong hands and make sure those that do want a legally acquired firearm can do so without being forced to give it up.

Taurus_Woman · Accepted Answer

Both are terrible in different ways, and neither is “better” than the other. In the end, the real issue is violence itself — regardless of the weapon. Both leave long-lasting emotional, physical, and social damage, and both should be taken seriously.

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

Gun crime. You can run from a knife, you can't a gun. Even if you can't run it's still possible to defend yourself. Not so with guns, a gun man can kill multiple people within range with little effort.

Telekinetic-Potato · Answer

My problem with the knife is, I know a bunch of people who got shot and nothing in their life changed. I've never met someone who get stabbed with a bladed object and wasn't permanently disfigured in some way.

There's this guy I shoot pool with who's an enormous guy, can't actuate his thumb to huld up the stick under its own power anymore because a girl smashed a bottle and (in the context of this guy being massive) grazed his forearm.

I'd like to be able to defend myself with. Gun but here's a thought, which would you rather get randomly attacked by this week if you had to choose?

Purpleronnie · Answer

Violent crime is violent crime , I don’t differentiate between those generally speaking.

If your question is in terms of which is more lethal , it’s obviously gun crime especially where gun laws are as backwards as they hey are in likes of the U. S , While knife crime is generally more common here in the U. K.

Both should only be contemplated in defense of a life , never to take one or cause injury mentally or physically.

Both are damaging and continue to take lives needlessly whether in war or anger.

DonaldDarko · Answer

It just depends. Guns can do more damage quicker. A knife in the right hands could easily be worse. Such as in a crowded room. Knives dont make any noise people might scream but no one would know why and the stabbing would continue. A gun you know instantly what's wrong and the victims scatter everywhere. Personally I don't have that much faith in guns. They're good for certain things but everyone goes right for a gun when they want to hunt or defend themselves or fight an enemy. Certainly they're a good weapon but not the be all and end all people think.

Bricealan · Answer

I find knife crime to be the worst.  In the Police Academy, we had a class on "Surviving Edged Weapons , so you can imagine the use of a knife is a very serious attack to survive, even though gunshot wounds are so often fatal. If not fatal, a knife attack can leave a survivor terribly scarred for life, and were I confronted by a knife wielding attacker, I would use ANYTHING available to kill the would-be assailant

Zack-Bann · Answer

Knives are vicious because they’re subtle and easy to find or craft.

A gun is loud and usually tracked if legally purchased.

Still it’s comparing burning to drowning.
Both atrocious ways to go out.

HawkPerception · Answer

I find that a knife crime seems more gruesome and personal. I've seen footage of people shooting others and I've seen footage of randoms stabbing people and I genuinely feel like the stabbings seem more psychotic than the shootings.

SeekerOfTruth007 · Answer

More people are actually killed in the USA by knives than guns.

More people are actually killed in the USA by makeshift weapons, such as beer bottles, pipes, hammers, or chains, than are killed by guns.

A similar number of people are actually killed by intentional poisonings to guns.

More unborn babies are "legally" murdered by their own mothers each year than all of the above murders combined each year.

lilBigPotato · Answer

It doesn't matter what you use to kill/injure someone. It's the same crime independent of the weapon.

emeraldsaphire · Answer

Probably knife crime. Guns are loud so if you get shot people know about it. Knifes feel more personal, and seem more barbaric if you as me.

Tamera952 · Answer

If you ask any Emergency Room doctor, I think they’re gonna say gun crime, hands down. Certainly has the potential to do more damage, to more people, without having to get up close and personal like you would with a knife.

4ngelic · Answer

gun, leaves more damage. It's hard to die from stabbing, even 20 stab wounds in places like the abdomen don't usually kill you. Bullet wounds leave craters in your body. The healing takes longer too

goaded · Answer

Gun crime. Terrorist attack in England? Take your beer with you.

AyChingao · Answer

A gun can kill a lot of people quickly and from a distance, you will have to get up close and personal if you plan on using a knife. The gun is the far more dangerous weapon potentially.

Lesbologist · Answer

Both. I literally carry both for different reasons. You don't want to be the victim of any of those crimes.

Joshydavid25 · Answer

Knife crimes seem more brutal.. Especially since it probably takes more time.. Gun crimes are at least more quick than not.. Although it can cause many more deaths in a quick succession..

NathanDavis · Answer

you're way more likely to survive one, but not the other... so that makes it much worse indeed

DryGermanGuy · Answer

I mean... there are far more victims of mass shootings, but rather few of mass stabbings.

exitseven · Answer

Gun crime. You might be able to win in a fight with somebody armed with a knife but a gun will kill you from across the room.

Anonymous · Answer

I have never experienced either but being stabbed looks more brutal.

Agape93 · Answer

Depends. Knives hurt more. But bullets burn like a mf if they don't exit the body

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Violent crime is violent crime. The weapons of choice are irrelevant.

SamIam96 · Answer

It's disturbing that you ask a question like this. Why?

strateguy632 · Answer

knife leaves bigger scars so worse. death by knife is more brutal. i will check punishment

Cidknee · Answer

It depends on the assailant and perhaps the situation. 6 killed by machete vs one wounded in shootout.

Shiprex · Answer

Gun because it's more removed an act that means you're more cowardly.

TonyMetal___86 · Answer

Both are bad because both are meant to hurt someone!

Hispanic-Cool-Guy · Answer

A knife is worse because it involves closeness and feels more intense and personal than a gun.

Iron_Man · Answer

OJ Simpson that I’m aware of. gun crimes I don’t know there’s so many out there

berserk945 · Answer

Both are equal  Knives are quite, small, hard to see and Identify but limited range Guns are easy to identify but have more range and are very loud which alerts everyone in the area

heavymetalbrotha · Answer

Kind of the same just knives are more personal since you have to get up close in my opinion.

Staximus · Answer

That depends on a lot of things, mainly if the victim dies or not.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Guns make things a bit too easy, and therefore worse

Anonymous · Answer

Good question. Both are horrible. And they are glamorized by movies. I bought a flick knife because I think they are cool. But I never would take it out.

I feel sorry for anyone living in that existence where violence is part of life.

Kingofkings1992 · Answer

Both are not good. Dying by knife would be scarier in my opinion

sage2021 · Answer

Both can kill a person so they are both bad.

OneViewpoint · Answer

Bladed weapons are way worse up close.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Answer

Gun crime results in more deaths, so I say that

Spencer10 · Answer

Gun crime. Guns are a cancer on society.

kaucky1 · Answer

If nobody holding either one no finger prints

Hell_boy · Answer

I'll say, crime is the worst thing

Anonymous · Answer

Probably gun crime.

lightbulb27 · Answer

knife!

Mark_Est · Answer

They are just tools.

AgentG111 · Answer

Crime itself.

jimbob70 · Answer

Knife

Godihateyou · Answer

N word crime

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