FBI crime reports show homicides using firearms dropped in U.S.between 2006 and 2010

CLEVELAND - In spite of Friday's mass shooting at the Empire State Building and the July mass shooting at a movie theater in Colorado, the most recent data suggests gun violence is declining in the United States.

The number of homicides committed using firearms dropped from 2006 to 2010, according the FBI's Uniform Crime Report.

 In 2010, 8,775 homicides using firearms were reported to the FBI.  In 2006, 10,225 homicides using firearms were reported to the FBI.

 The number of homicides in the U.S. has also declined from 15,087 reported in 2006 to 12,996 in 2010.

 However, data also shows gun violence is a bigger problem in the United States than in many other nations.

 The FBI data show firearms were used in 67 percent of homicides committed in the U.S. in 2010.

 Firearms were used in 42 percent of homicides committed in a study of 108 countries' crime rates, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

 The percentage of homicides committed using firearms in Ohio is also 67 percent.

 FBI data shows 310 out of 460 homicides reported in the state in 2010 involved guns.

Ohio gun control activists the numbers of violent incidents involving guns is still too high.

"All you have to do is talking about Chardon in Northeast Ohio, and what happened in Colorado, what happened in Wisconsin and what happened today in New York itself and you know guns are getting into the hands of the wrong people," said Brian Rothenberg, the executive director of ProgressOhio, a group fighting for tougher gun control laws in Ohio.

Rothenberg and Michael Weinman, a former Columbus police officer who was paralyzed in both legs when he was shot while on duty in December 1998, spoke to members of the City Club of Cleveland Friday to share their stories and message Friday.

"There's more crime. There's more gun violence because of guns in society," said Weinman.

He said he's living proof of the dangers of guns. "Losing your legs. Your ability to walk. I mean, it's a whole total life change," he said.

"Somebody with a beef or someone that's upset or mentally unstable has too much access to guns, and until we do something about that we're going to continue to have these tragedies," said Rothenberg.

Watch our story on gun violence on NewsChannel5 at 5 p.m.