Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) claims there is a concerted effort by federal agencies and legacy media to suppress data showing the effectiveness of armed citizens in preventing crime. Massie’s comments refer to research by Dr. John R. Lott Jr., who argues that the FBI, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and media outlets actively hide statistics that demonstrate how law-abiding gun owners stop mass shootings and other crimes.

Lott’s article highlights the CDC’s removal of data on defensive gun uses after pressure from a gun control organization. Previously, the CDC had posted estimates suggesting that guns are used to stop crimes between 64,000 and 3 million times a year. However, this data was removed because it was reportedly being cited by gun rights advocates to argue against stricter firearm laws.

Massie also echoed Lott’s concerns about how the FBI reports active shooter incidents. According to Lott, the FBI’s definition of active shooter attacks is too broad, including cases where no one was harmed. Lott claims this skews the data against armed citizens, underreporting how often they prevent violence. The FBI reported that only 14 of 350 active shooter cases between 2014 and 2023 were stopped by armed civilians. However, Lott’s Crime Prevention Research Center found that 180 of 515 active shooter incidents were stopped by law-abiding gun owners, excluding 27 instances where citizens intervened before shots were fired.

Massie argued that this manipulation of data creates a false narrative, misleading the public about the effectiveness of private gun ownership. High-profile crimes, like the recent school shooting in Georgia, often lead to media and political calls for more gun control, but Massie believes these efforts ignore the role armed citizens play in stopping violence.

As gun control rhetoric intensifies with the upcoming election, Massie emphasized that the Second Amendment is about more than hunting or recreation — it’s about the right of citizens to defend themselves. He urged voters and leaders to consider the real data on defensive gun use when debating firearm policies.