Gun violence is most common across the Central and South American countries, where access to firearms is easy and governmental control is low. The prevalence of organized crime in these states is also a decisive factor. The US is an outlier among the developed countries, with the number of gun-related crimes far exceeding the average rate. As a result, nearly 40 thousand people are killed by firearms annually on American soil, and around 1% of these deaths result from mass shootings.