CDC Restores and Revises Defensive Gun Use Data After Trump Administration Review

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has restored and revised its online data on defensive gun use, following a review initiated during the Trump administration. This move corrects earlier figures and reverses a removal made under the Biden administration. The agency now reports a lower-end estimate of 500,000 defensive gun uses per year, replacing the previously cited figure of 60,000.

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The restoration of this data underscores a longstanding dispute over how federal agencies collect, report, and interpret statistics related to gun use in the United States. The way these figures are presented has significant implications for public policy and the ongoing national debate over gun control and gun rights.

Background and Timeline

The CDC’s update comes after criticism from gun rights advocates, who argued that the agency’s earlier removal of defensive gun use data—at the urging of gun control activists—distorted the public record. Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that gun control advocates had pressed the CDC to take down its discussion of defensive gun use. They expressed concern that such statistics were being used to oppose gun control legislation.

In May 2022, the CDC removed the data from its website. The agency restored the information in July 2026, this time correcting the lower estimate to reflect findings from the 2013 National Academies of Sciences (NAS) report, which had been co-sponsored by the CDC itself.

Revising the Estimates

The 2013 NAS report found that national survey estimates of defensive gun use ranged from about 500,000 to more than 3 million incidents annually. The CDC’s previous range—60,000 to 2.5 million—was criticized for not accurately reflecting the NAS findings. The lower figure was based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, which the NAS cautioned was difficult to interpret due to its methodology and potential undercounting of defensive gun use incidents.

With the latest revision, the CDC’s figures now align with the NAS report’s lower bound, though the upper estimate remains below the NAS’s highest figure of 3.7 million. The agency’s decision to update the data is seen by some as an effort to provide a more accurate and transparent account of defensive gun use, while others view it as a response to political pressure.

Ongoing Debate and Criticism

Gun control organizations, including Michael Bloomberg-funded outlet The Trace, have sharply criticized the CDC’s decision to restore and revise the data. They argue that the estimates are “inflated” and may overstate the frequency and effectiveness of defensive gun use by civilians. The debate over these statistics has become a flashpoint in broader arguments about the role of armed citizens in preventing mass-casualty events and the appropriate scope of gun regulation.

John R. Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), has been a vocal critic of how federal agencies report defensive gun use. He stated, “The CDC’s range of 60,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses did not accurately describe what the 2013 NAS report said about national survey estimates.”

Broader Context: FBI Data and Disputes

The controversy over defensive gun use data extends beyond the CDC. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also faced scrutiny for its reporting on active shooter incidents. According to Lott, the FBI reported that armed citizens stopped only 16 of 408 active shooter incidents from 2014 through 2025. In contrast, the CPRC claims to have identified 615 such incidents, with armed citizens stopping 225 of them—about 36.6 percent, or nearly ten times the FBI’s estimate.

The CPRC further reports that in locations where civilians could legally carry firearms, the rate of attacks stopped by armed citizens was 52.9 percent over the past 12 years. The FBI, for its part, has stated that its data is intended to provide a baseline understanding of active shooter incidents, not an exhaustive account. Researchers at Texas State University who assisted the FBI have disputed some of the CPRC’s identified cases, but the CPRC contends that similar cases were included by the FBI when law enforcement, rather than civilians, intervened.

Implications for Public Policy

The restoration and correction of the CDC’s defensive gun use data comes amid heightened debate over the role of armed citizens in public safety. Gun rights advocates argue that the revised figures support the case for civilian firearm ownership and the potential for citizens to prevent or mitigate violent crime. On the other hand, gun control groups maintain that the data is unreliable and overstates the frequency and effectiveness of defensive gun use, warning that such statistics could be misused to block or weaken gun regulation efforts.

As of now, the CDC and FBI have not issued further public statements addressing the criticisms raised by either side. The debate over defensive gun use statistics is likely to continue, as policymakers, researchers, and advocacy groups on both sides of the gun control issue scrutinize the available data and its implications for future legislation.