I included both because aggravated assault is considered a violent crime involving the intent to feloniously injure another person and because the FBI does break out the types of weapons used in aggravated assaults as well as murders.
In 2017, the FBI reported 755,492 crimes of violence against a person in which the reporting law enforcement agency had specified the type of weapon used (gun, knife, bare hands, or other, such as a club). This total included 741,756 aggravated assaults and 13,736 cases of murder or non-negligent manslaughter. This was out of a total of 828,109 aggravated assaults and criminal homicides, so about 79% of the reported offenses included details of weapons use.
Of this 755,492 offenses for which weapon type was reported, 206,176 (27.29%) involved a firearm of some type. 129,488 (17.14%) were committed using a knife or other cutting/piercing instrument. 188,892 (25.00%)attacks involved the use of “personal weapons”including hands and feet, and 230,936 (30.57%) involved the use of a club or similar striking implement.
Perhaps the math in your world operates differently that how it works in the real world, but out here 206,000 is a lot bigger than even 17,284, which is the total number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters reported by the in 2017. That last figure includes all the offenses reported by the FBI, regardless of what type of weapon was used or even if no specific weapon was reported at all.
The reason I included this information is not to minimize anything but to point out that a fixation on guns is causing us to ignore the actual problem: violent crime.
Other than to make a gratuitous derogatory comment, I am not sure of the point of your Washington Post reference. Would you care to estimate how many traffic accidents are caused by dogs? After all, many drivers admit they are distracted by their dogs while they are driving and distracted driving is blamed for about 3,000 deaths per year. Plus, there are more than 2.5 times as many emergency room visits because of dog bites than accidental gunshots.
Just because something is simple to do doesn’t mean only the simple can do it. In 2017, data from the CDC indicates that 99.8% of gun owners avoided causing accidental deaths or injuries requiring medical treatment. That’s about the same as submersion accidents and deaths in swimming pools. so I guess pools are a problem, too.
Someone with the intellectual and physical abilities of a dog can do many things. Since typing is generally not among them, I deem it likely that you dictated your response.