'Ban assault weapons now!' 'Star Wars' legend Mark Hamill cites misleading gun stats while calling for red-flag laws

Legendary "Star Wars" actor Mark Hamill demanded an "assault weapons" ban along with the passing of red-flag laws in a video to victims of gun violence.

Hamill sent in a video to the 11th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence, which was hosted by the Newtown Action Alliance. The alliance is a "national grassroots group formed after the Sandy Hook shooting to bring about legislative & cultural changes" related to gun violence.

"Hello, everyone, I’m Mark Hamill," the actor began. "I’m sorry I can’t be with you in person to share this message, but I wanted to express my deepest condolences for your losses do to the tragedy of gun violence in America."

"We are the greatest country in the world, but we also have the greatest gun problem in the world; no other nation comes close," the cultural icon continued.

"Nearly 50,000 Americans die from gun violence every year. And guns have become the number-one killer of children and teens," the actor claimed.

It seems the jedi's facts are misleading, however, particularly the claims of gun violence. The 50,000 figure likely comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's data for "all firearm deaths," which totaled 48,830 for 2021.

However, more than half of those deaths (26,328 or 54%) can be attributed to "firearm suicides," also according to data from the CDC.

As well, the United States is not even in the top 10 for homicides by firearms per 100,000 people and actually ranks seventh in terms of firearms homicides among high-income countries, according to Health Data.

The Southwest Journal ranked the United States as 32nd on a list of gun deaths per 100,000.

In addition, Hamill's claims about gun deaths for children and teens are also questionable.

For ages 1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19, the CDC does not list gun violence or assault as the top cause of death. In fact, "accidents" appears to be the top reason for child deaths in the United States across all age groups.

The term "accidents" includes deaths caused by transport accidents, other "external causes of accidental injury", and external secondary causes sometimes from disease.

Therefore, it is difficult to tell where Hamill's claim derives from.

"We need to end this public health crisis now. Ban assault weapons now. Enact universal background checks now. Pass red-flag laws now," the actor demanded.

"I know this work isn’t easy, but you’re on the right side of history. And I’m beyond thankful for your efforts to end the scourge of gun violence in this nation," Hamill concluded.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!