Washington, December 28 (RHC)-- More than 6,000 children have been either killed or injured so far in 2022 across the United States as a result of gun violence, an American nonprofit group reports.  Gun Violence Archive (GVA) produced the figure on Tuesday. Breaking down the data, the group said at least 6,032 children, 17 years of age and younger, had been killed or injured due to gun violence so far this year.

The number was the highest since the GVA started keeping a record of gun violence casualties in 2014.  The figure reflected a notable increase since last year when arbitrary deployment of firearms by civilians were found to be responsible for 5,708 casualties across the country.

In line with 2022's figures, 306 children, 11 years of age and younger, died by gunfire, with 668 being injured.  Additionally, 1,325 teenagers, aged 12 to 17, died by gunfire, with 3,732 being injured.

Last month, the GVA said there had been a total of 609 mass shootings in 2022 in the United States so far, putting the country on pace to reach around 675 by the end of the year.

U.S. President Joe Biden remarked in July said that a flood of guns was turning American communities into “killing fields” and vowed to reinstate a ban on assault rifles.  The remarks came in a White House ceremony to mark new gun control legislation that he signed on June 25.  “This has taken too long, with too much of a trail of bloodshed and carnage,” Biden said.

The 2018 Small Arms Survey found that there were approximately 393 million firearms in civilian hands in the country, or 120.5 firearms per 100 people.  That number is much higher now, given the soaring increase in gun sales over the past few years.