A fatal shooting at a candlelight vigil in Elizabeth, New Jersey, has renewed scrutiny of the United States’ persistent gun violence crisis days before the November 3 midterm elections, as campaigns focus on the economy, immigration and other issues while thousands of Americans continue to die from firearms each year.
One person was killed and four others injured when gunfire erupted at the vigil on October 26, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. No arrests had been announced at the time of the report.
The shooting has again exposed the gap between the scale of gun violence in the United States and its limited prominence in election campaigning, raising questions about whether political leaders can offer meaningful responses to a crisis that continues to claim lives across the country.
Gun violence kills 122 Americans every day
Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that 44,447 people died from firearm injuries in 2024, an average of about 122 deaths a day.
According to Pew Research, 27,593 of those deaths were firearm suicides and 15,364 were homicides, equivalent to roughly 76 suicide deaths and 42 homicide deaths involving guns every day. Other deaths included unintentional shootings and fatal incidents involving law enforcement.
Mass shootings represent only part of the broader crisis. The Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are shot, excluding the shooter.
Despite the mounting toll, the approaching midterms have not placed gun violence consistently at the centre of campaign messaging.
Election spending prioritizes competing political battles
The Everytown for Gun Safety Victory Fund and House Majority PAC launched a $10 million paid media campaign to support former Moms Demand Action volunteers running in eight competitive House districts.
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association has backed Republican candidates and attacked Democratic candidates over their positions on gun restrictions.
However, gun policy faces competition from issues that campaign strategists consider more electorally influential. A Washington Post analysis of more than 8,000 advertisements in competitive congressional and gubernatorial races found that nearly three in five mentioned the economy. Immigration was also a major theme in Republican advertising, while Democrats devoted relatively little advertising to it.
Paedophilia and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein also featured in 500 election advertisements, according to the report. The analysis did not establish how frequently candidates specifically discussed mass shootings.
Gun violence remains a major public safety concern, particularly for young Americans. The article’s cited figures also indicate that 59% of Americans, or someone close to them, have experienced gun violence during their lifetime.