More guns than there are brains

* US Population Estimate (January 2015): 320,000,000

* Number of guns privately owned in US (January 2015): estimated, 265,000,000

Source: Azrael, Deborah, Lisa Hepburn, David Hemenway, and Matthew Miller. 2017. “The Stock and Flow of U.S. Firearms: Results from the 2015 National Firearms Survey.” RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 3(5): 38–57.

 Significant determinants for outcomes after gunshot wounds to the head include:

* Admission Glascow Coma Score (GCS),
* Trajectory of the missile track,
*  Pupillary response to light,
*  Patency of basal brain cerebrospinal spaces (CSF cisterns) were significant determinants of outcomes in civilian and military gunshot wounds to the head.

Source:"Gunshot Wound Head Trauma", web page managed by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.  http://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Gunshot-Wound-Head-Trauma ; Accessed 8/1/2018. 

"Not all bullets are created equal. The energy of a bullet is determined by its mass and speed, and its wounding potential hinges on its ability to transfer its energy to a target; even rounds that are similar in size, or look similar, can cause dramatically different damage."

Source: Meredith Rizzo and Rebecca Hersher, "WATCH: The Science Behind Why Some Bullets Are More Destructive Than Others", SHOTS: Health News from NPR. Washington, DC: National Public Radio. https://youtu.be/UzXsjMDpNq4 Accessed 8/2/2018. 

"Gunshot wounds to the head, the most lethal of all firearm injuries, rank among the leading causes of head injury in many United States cities. They carry a fatality rate greater than 90 percent, and at least two-thirds of the victims die before reaching a hospital."

 "The bullet trajectory through the brain carries major significance. Bullets that cut through the brainstem, multiple lobes of the brain, or the chambers where spinal fluid is located are particularly lethal.Many initial survivors develop uncontrollable pressure on the brain and subsequently die."

Source: UCLA Neurosurgery, "Cranial Gun Shot Wounds". Los Angeles:  UCLA Health. http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/cranial-gunshot-wounds ; Accessed 8/2/2018.
 
The first time Reed opened fire on a rival gang member, he says he got hooked on shooting.
“It’s like an adrenaline boost. Like ... I’m da man!” he says. “You know, I enjoyed it.”
Growing up on the Northwest Side of Chicago, Reed says gang members kept guns in a Crown Royal bag under his front porch. He says after he committed his first shooting, at about the age of 13, he was always chasing that rush — and would often volunteer to go with his fellow gang members when they went out looking to shoot rivals.
“It’s like a drug. You get addicted to living the lifestyle, living the gangster lifestyle,” Reed says. “Since I was a kid I always was infatuated with that type of lifestyle. Always.” 

Source: Robert Wildeboer, "When Shooting Feels Like a Drug". Chicago: WBEZ 91.5 Radio.  http://interactive.wbez.org/everyotherhour/like-a-drug/ Accessed 8/2/2018.

"My identity as a gun violence survivor is a paradox. On one hand, it's a reminder that life can change fast, in unimaginable ways — in my case, a gunman opened fire on me and my constituents at a community event seven years ago, killing six, injuring 12 others, leaving me partially paralyzed and reducing my ability to speak. On the other hand, tragedy has given me agency, courage and historic purpose in the movement to save lives from gun violence.

As a survivor, I’m often sought out to comfort those in distress. People send emails, write letters, leave messages on Facebook, but usually, they just stop me on the street. Many times, they have their own experiences with pain and trauma — often left unmentioned — but their survivorship is marked by a recognizable resilience."

Source: Gabrielle Giffords, "Getting shot seven years ago gave me courage to fight gun violence: Gabby Giffords", USA Today. Washington: Gannett Corporation. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/01/08/seven-years-after-being-shot-were-still-standing-up-gun-lobby-gabby-giffords-column/1011400001/ Accessed 8/2/2018.