It is well known that the United States is a country full of guns. In 2021 there were 44,878 deaths by gun violence across the country, per the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that collects data on gun violence. This includes suicides, mass shootings, and other offenses. Of these shootings, only 1,249 were characterized as defensive use as reported by the Gun Violence Archive.

Mass shootings have occurred a number of times over the past several years, and each time there are many citizens calling for changes to gun laws, requirements for insurance, and other measures to reduce the number of shootings. The San Jose City Council has taken concrete steps in that direction by voting to require gun owners to have insurance coverage for their weapons.

City Ordinance

The ordinance cites several statistics concerning gun violence, including homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings. It states that one-third of shootings are unintentional, and these shootings are insurable. It references auto insurers rewarding good drivers and incentivizing the use of airbags and other safety features. The ordinance states that similar to these actions for auto insurance, carriers could encourage firearm owners to take safety classes, use gun safes and implement other safety measures to keep firearms under control. Liability insurance could reduce the number of gun incidents by encouraging safe behavior and providing coverage for losses and damages related to some incidents. Programs and services to gun owners and their households could also be beneficial by encouraging safe behavior, educating gun owners and providing resources to residents.