People take part in the "March for Our Lives" gun control rally in Chicago, the United States, on March 24, 2018. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Gun theft is rising in major cities across the United States, which police and criminologists say is leading to more and more homicide, said an article published by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Thursday.

"The number of stolen guns reported to police rose by 29 percent in 10 major U.S. cities over the past two years," said the article.

Earlier this month, a stolen handgun that had been fired 28 times was found at the scene of a gang shooting in Sacramento, California, where six people died and 12 were injured, the WSJ quoted local police as saying.

Police officials tie the climb in theft to the rise in first-time gun owners, said the article, explaining that guns are frequently being stolen from cars after their owners left them there, something more-experienced owners know not to do.

A record number of Americans bought guns over the past couple of years, driven by concerns related to the pandemic, protests and rising crime, it added.