This map shows where gun dealers outnumber Starbucks locations across the US
1Point21Interactive
A law enforcement official said on Wednesday that in the past year Paddock bought 33 guns, most of them rifles. Under federal law, gun stores are not required to report multiple rifle purchases to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (unless they are in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, and that's only for certain rifles).
After more than 1,400 mass shootings over the past five years, the Las Vegas massacre has again put a spotlight on American gun culture. As of December 2015, there are 64,747 licensed gun dealers across the country.
A mapping project by the data visualization company 1point21 Interactive puts that figure into perspective by comparing it to something many Americans know and love: Starbucks.
When users enter a zip code, the tool - called "Firearms + Frappuccinos" - maps the locations of gun dealers (in pink), mass shootings (in yellow), and Starbucks (in green), and shows totals for each. The gun shop location data comes from the ATF, while the Starbucks locations were provided by open data company Socrata. Mass shootings are defined as events when four or more people are shot and/or killed. All of the data is from 2015.
Check out what six major cities, including Las Vegas, look like on the map below.
View As: One Page Slides
The goal of the project is to show how much guns remain a deep-rooted — and accessible — part of American life.
"There are more gun dealers in the U.S. than grocery stores (37,716), McDonald’s (14,098), total coffee shops (55,246), and almost 6 for every Starbucks (10,843). If you include gun collectors, manufacturers, and importers (138,659 as of December 2015), there are more gun dealers in the U.S. than there are pharmacies (67,000) or public schools (98,328)," the team wrote.
Las Vegas has roughly the same number of gun dealers as Starbucks. Gun laws in Nevada are very permissive and the state has resisted efforts for tighter gun control in recent years.
Starbucks in Las Vegas: 159
Gun dealers in Las Vegas: 158
Mass shootings in Las Vegas in 2015: 2
In Nevada, there were 14.9 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2015, above the national rate of 11.1.
The state does not require permits to buy rifles, shotguns, or handguns, which can be carried openly. Residents do not need to register these weapons with the state or obtain a gun license either.
In addition, Nevada has a "stand-your-ground" law, meaning people can use deadly force against someone who attacks them, even if that person is unarmed. As long as they are under the supervision of a parent or guardian, children 14 years and older can also handle rifles or shotguns.
California, on the other hand, requires that all gun sales require a background check. There are still a large number of gun dealers in Los Angeles, but not as many as there are Starbucks.
Starbucks in Los Angeles: 530
Gun dealers in Los Angeles: 230
Mass shootings in Los Angeles in 2015: 4
Most assault weapons and large capacity magazines are also banned in California.
Louisiana has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country. In Baton Rouge and Baker, there are over 300 stores that sell guns.
Starbucks in Baton Rouge: 11
Gun dealers in Baton Rouge: 2
Mass shootings in Baton Rouge in 2015: 2
Starbucks in Baker: 10
Gun dealers in Baker: 147
Mass shootings in Baker in 2015: 1
Baltimore, Maryland has about 40 more gun dealers than Starbucks locations.
Starbucks in Baltimore: 110
Gun dealers in Baltimore: 156
Gun dealers in Baltimore in 2015: 10
There are fewer gun dealers for every Starbucks in Chicago (about 1:3).
Starbucks in Chicago: 330
Gun dealers in Chicago: 101
Mass shootings in Chicago in 2015: 13
Though Chicago has extensive gun regulations, city officials have attributed gun crimes to illegal firearms bought outside Illinois, where regulations are not as strict, DNA Info reported in 2014.
In New York City, which has relatively strict gun laws, there are about two Starbucks for every gun dealer.
Starbucks in NYC: 1,646
Gun dealers in NYC: 711
Mass shootings in NYC in 2015: 11
New York State banned the sale of assault weapons, including semi-automatic pistols, shotguns and rifles, in 2013.
Starbucks has approximately 10,843 locations across the US. That means that for every Starbucks, there are nearly six stores where Americans can legally purchase guns.
This is a uniquely American stat. Though the US has just 4.4% of the world’s population, it has half of the civilian-owned guns around the world.
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