Newly released statistics show violent crime involving firearms dropped five percent in Canada between 2020 and 2021.
According to Statistics Canada, violent crime in general went up four percent, but a decrease in firearm-related crime in urban areas, including Toronto, led to the drop in violent crime with guns.
In Toronto, the rate of firearm-related crime was 22 percent lower in 2021 than the year prior.
However, across the country the rate of firearm-related violent crime was 25 percent higher than 10 years earlier.
The agency says handguns were involved in 54 percent of violent crime with firearms, making them the most-used firearm in violent crimes last year.
MPs are studying legislation to further restrict the availability of what the government considers assault-style firearms, and federal regulations aimed at capping the number of handguns in Canada are already in effect.
