There were 14,196 murders in the United States in 2013. Any thoughts as to why?

Well the increasing median age of the United States has been steadily reducing the number of murders to that low, last achieved in 1969 (and remember the population was a lot lower then). Older people are less violent on average.

The biggest reason is all of the kids who grow up in broken homes. Guys go around and have babies with 3 or 4 different women, then they don't support any of them. The kids grow up without much parental supervision. Their parents don't teach them to respect other people, or the value of a good education. It's a vicious cycle.

The gangsta's in the hood will kill each other for the dumbest reasons. That guy looked at me the wrong way, I'm going to kill him! That guy disrespected me, I'm going to kill him! That guy doesn't live on my street, I'm going to kill him! That guy owes me $20 I'm going to kill him!
I want that guy's car, I'm going to kill him! There are MANY more murders for stupid reasons like this, than there are crazy guys shooting up theaters. Watch the 3rd link to get an idea of what it's like in the American inner city. The world hears about the occasional mass shooter, but you don't see what it's like every day in the hood.

There's a really good TV show on A&E called "The first 48" They follow real detectives as they try to solve real murders. Below are two recent stories from my local news.

Sure... Mainly the NRA and the Republicans they fund... Watched a really intense Canadian Documentary (Passionate Eye- Gunned Down) on Jan. 25/2014.. Was absolutely horrified by the statistics and the horrible power the NRA has... Had to change channels a few times, because I was so angry!!!. Will never forget the part, where Charlton Heston (Dead asshole actor) stood up and stated that " they would never take his gun out of his cold dark hands".... Nothing wrong with LEGAL, gun owners, who have had background checks having weapons... BUT... how easy is it for insane idiots to get guns and kill innocent people ??? The NRA answer... MORE GUNS.... Arm teachers and get ready to fight... BULL$HIT!!! ALSO, why are assault rifles, shotguns, ARK's in the inner cities... They are only used to commit crimes!!!!!

Well that is a very good question, but the sad truth is that we don't completely know. The human mind is capable of many truly wonderful (and horrible) things. You are probably wondering HOW someone could take another humans life, it all mostly depends on a variety of variables, like how they grew up, what kind of tragedies they have endured, and how they handled those situations. I guess its all a matter on how that person handles and perceives the world around him that determined just how far they are willing to go under certain circumstances.

Lack of family values an no swift death sentence in all States.If a murderer is foung guility in Jan an is put to death by July the murder rate would drop by 90%

....the quality of food has gone down stupendously in this country....our brains and bodies suffer from lack of nourishment...long term and short term. Diseases have taken the USA over. Little to no breast feeding... low.quaility foods, drinks, breads, pastas, rices...vegetations, fruits.....and as a direct cause of this most people in this country cannot think or perform at 100%.....not even 60%. Our daily oxygen levels are grossly below par. This is WHY!. BTW Congress does not eat the same food...their vegetables, meats, etc are specialty grown to the max to nourish them and their families and our taxes pay for their high quality foods.....

Claire, I have to agree - for the most part - with the answer of Mike, the first one your received. I disagree with the somewhat racist tone of his argument and his Fox News-only references, but in general, his response is sadly based on fact. I read in the Kansas City Star late last year that less than 50% of people living together are married, and that number is expected to fall even further. And I know from my line of work that 40% of all US births are to unwed parents. No disrespect to unmarried folk who live together as a family unit, legitimize their births, and carry on with their lives ... but they are a minority, whether red, yellow, black or white.

Most murders happen in certain parts of certain cities where the population is mostly composed of certain ethnic groups. Mostly young men engaged in street and drug gang crimes are involved and almost all of the victims are likewise engaged. Innocent bystanders are often killed as these gangs shoot at each other with illegally obtained firearms. Extracting these particular murders from the equation reduces the overall murder rate by any means down to no more than any other western country. A white woman in a 'white' suburb has a close to zero chance of being murdered and when it happens it's almost always the husband or boyfriend who does the deed.

Do you mean why has the murder rate been cut in half in 20 years? Success of the NRA?
Murders per 100,000:
1962 4.6
1972 9.0
1980 10.2 (peak)
1992 9.3
2002 5.6
2012 4.7

You need to be careful if you want to compare crime rates with other countries. In the UK somebody brakes into 5 homes, get reported as 1 crime, in the US 5 crimes. A homicide in the UK is tallied as a murder when somebody is convicted, in the US when coroner calls it homicide. Many different standards.

Banning guns doesn't seem to work, new antigun laws went into effect following the 1996 Dunblane massacre. The latest UK Government figures show that the total number of firearm offences in England and Wales has increased from 5,209 in 1998/99 to 9,865 last year - a rise of 89 per cent.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1223193/Culture-violence-Gun-crime-goes-89-decade.html#ixzz3Q5TobJwk

The police thought and they got shot. That would lower the numbers by a large percentage. So justifiable murdered. Then some were domestic disputes hammer knife and such. Then vehicular homiside on a great many. Now to the few who shot each other at will.