WHITE HOUSE — Acting less than a week after the massacre of 26 people, including 20 young children and six adults, in a school in Newtown, Connecticut, President Barack Obama has ordered creation of a government-wide task force to come up with solutions to gun violence.Obama is taking advantage of continuing national horror over the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School to push forward what he called a "re-emerged" national discussion about gun violence, and to seek solutions.
Vice President Joe Biden will lead the effort involving members of the president's Cabinet, and outside organizations. Obama wants their recommendations no later than January and vows to act on them without delay.
A look at how the U.S. ranks in comparison to the rest of world when it comes guns and gun violence.
The U.S. has the highest gun ownership rate in the world.
GUN OWNERSHIP PER 100 PEOPLE
1. United States - 89
2. Yemen - 55
3. Switzerland - 46
4. Finland - 45
5. Serbia - 38
--------------------------------------------
Despite the high number of guns, because of its large population, the U.S. does not have the worst firearms murder rate.
GUN MURDERS PER 100,000 PEOPLE
1. Honduras - 69
2. El Salvador - 40
3. Jamaica - 39
4 Venezuela - 39
5. Guatemala - 35
The United States ranks 28th, with a rate of 3 per 100,000 people
-----------------------------------------
*The U.S. is one of the leading countries in the number of deaths attributed to guns.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED BY FIREARMS IN 2010
1. Brazil - 34,678
2. Colombia - 12,539
3. Mexico - 11,309
4. Venezuela - 11,115
5. United States - 9,146
Source: UNODC & Small arms survey of 2010
Vice President Joe Biden will lead the effort involving members of the president's Cabinet, and outside organizations. Obama wants their recommendations no later than January and vows to act on them without delay.
A look at how the U.S. ranks in comparison to the rest of world when it comes guns and gun violence.
The U.S. has the highest gun ownership rate in the world.
GUN OWNERSHIP PER 100 PEOPLE
1. United States - 89
2. Yemen - 55
3. Switzerland - 46
4. Finland - 45
5. Serbia - 38
--------------------------------------------
Despite the high number of guns, because of its large population, the U.S. does not have the worst firearms murder rate.
GUN MURDERS PER 100,000 PEOPLE
1. Honduras - 69
2. El Salvador - 40
3. Jamaica - 39
4 Venezuela - 39
5. Guatemala - 35
The United States ranks 28th, with a rate of 3 per 100,000 people
-----------------------------------------
*The U.S. is one of the leading countries in the number of deaths attributed to guns.
NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED BY FIREARMS IN 2010
1. Brazil - 34,678
2. Colombia - 12,539
3. Mexico - 11,309
4. Venezuela - 11,115
5. United States - 9,146
Source: UNODC & Small arms survey of 2010