Felons can’t own guns.
Chapter 44 of Title 18 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), federal law bans convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition. (The U.S.C. is a compilation of congressional laws organized by topic and subtopic: Title 18 defines federal crimes and criminal procedure, and Chapter 44 (Sections 921-931) covers firearms.) It sounds straightforward enough, but when you unpack how that federal law works and factor in the complexities added by state laws and high court rulings, a much more complicated picture begins to emerge.
According to Section 922(g)(9), no one “who has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” may own or possess a gun. This rule covers all felonies, but does not apply to state misdemeanors that carry less than a two-year sentence. It also exempts several kinds of felonious white-collar crime, as well as felony convictions handed down in foreign countries [sources: 18 U.S.C. § 921; 544 U.S. 385; Williams].
Lest you think Section 922(g) is too lenient, however, read on: It also bans guns for (among others) fugitives, illegal users of controlled substances, mental defectives, illegal aliens, dishonorably discharged soldiers, renounced citizens, subjects of certain court orders and persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. Violating these statutes can net you 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine [source: Rhode Island Probation].
Pit bull types are a special case as the historical statistics show. Ownership carries risks like most things in life and people will assess these risks differently.
Summary: In the 13-year period of January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2017, canines killed at least 433 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 66% of these deaths. Rottweilers, the second leading canine killer, inflicted 10% of attacks that resulted in human death. Combined, two dog breeds accounted for 76% of the total recorded deaths. [Table 1]
This report examines the breeds of dogs involved in fatal attacks on humans, age groups and genders of the victims, the number of dogs involved, family and dog relationships, property statistics, household and time factors, criminal prosecutions following lethal dog attacks and states with the most occurrences.
This report also examines the changing metrics in U.S. fatal dog attacks since the CDC last examined this issue (1979 to 1998).
Pit bulls are a contributing factor to the rise of adult fatality victims since the last CDC study (1979 to 1998). From 2005 to 2017, pit bulls killed 72% (163 of 225) of all victims ≥10 years old vs. all other dog breeds combined, which killed 28%. [Table 4] A breakdown of adults fatally attacked by pit bulls follows: Pit bulls inflicted 91% (21) of all dog bite deaths in the 10-29 age group; 72% (36) in the 30-49 age group; 74% (56) in the 50-69 age group; and 66% (50) in the ≥70 age group. [Table 4]
Breed-specific trait: 54 cases involved a dog killing its primary owner. Pit bulls inflicted 63% (34) of these deaths, over 8 times more than any other breed. Pit bulls killed their owners in all adult age groups vs. attacks without pit bulls, where 90% of owners were ≥50 years old.
Link to Statistical Analysis