Gun theft from private citizens in the US 2020-2024: victims and circumstances from a national survey.

backgroundThis study provides a contemporary estimate of how many adult US gun owners had a gun stolen in the past five years, along with information about the demographic and gun-related characteristics of these victims.

methodsData come from the 2024 National Firearms Survey, designed by the authors and conducted by the research firm Ipsos in December 2024. Close to 13,000 (n = 12,860) of those invited to take this on-line survey completed it (59% completion rate). Respondents who reported that they personally owned a gun (n = 4059) were asked "In the past 5 years, have you had any firearms stolen from you?" Respondents who answered in the affirmative were asked detailed questions about their most recent gun theft incident that occurred in the past five years. Data were weighted to provide national estimates.

resultsAmong the 4,059 gun owners in the study, 47 reported having had one or more guns stolen in the past five years, representing a weighted estimate of 1.4% (95% CI 0.9, 1.8) of gun owners, or approximately 1 million adults. Gun owners who had carried a handgun in the month prior to the survey were three times more likely to report having a gun stolen than those who had not carried (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.1, 7.4). Gun owners who stored a gun in their car (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.4, 9.2), and those who stored some of their guns loaded and unlocked compared to owners who stored all their guns unloaded and locked (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.4, 9.6) were also three times more likely to have a gun stolen. Three fifths (60%) of the most recent gun theft incidents reported by respondents occurred in the victim's home. An additional 15% were from cars, and 25% from all other places. In about a quarter of these thefts (28%), at least one gun had been recovered by the time of the survey. Two-thirds (68%) of respondents reported their most recent gun theft to police (over 80% of non-Hispanic White gun owners compared to about half of other gun owners). One quarter of these theft victims had insurance that covered the firearm.

conclusionGun carrying, keeping a gun in one's car, and storing guns loaded and unlocked may increase harm to the community by increasing the number of guns that get into the hands of criminals.