While a single unsecured gun can turn an ordinary afternoon into an unimaginable tragedy, the rising statistics on accidental firearm deaths among children paint a disturbing and preventable national crisis.
Key Takeaways
- In 2020, there were 254 unintentional firearm deaths among children and teens aged 0-17 in the United States
- From 2015 to 2019, an average of 121 children under 18 died from unintentional gunshots annually in the US
- In 2021, 299 children aged 1-17 died from accidental gun injuries in the US, representing a 41% increase from 2019
- In California 2021, 12 accidental gun deaths in children under 18
- Texas 2020: 29 unintentional firearm deaths among kids 0-17
- Florida 2019: 21 child accidental gun fatalities
- In 2021, 87% of accidental gun deaths in children aged 0-17 were males
- Children aged 5-14 accounted for 42% of unintentional firearm deaths in 2020, totaling 107 deaths
- Ages 15-17 saw 112 accidental gun deaths in 2021
- Black children 0-19: 45% of unintentional gun deaths despite 14% population, 2019 data
- White children: 37% of accidental gun fatalities 0-17 in 2021
- Hispanic youth: 12% of child gun accident deaths 2020
- From 2019 to 2020, child accidental gun deaths increased 36.7%
- Unintentional firearm deaths in kids 0-17 doubled from 109 in 2019 to 254 in 2020
- 87% increase in accidental gun deaths for children from 2018-2021
Accidental child gun deaths surged alarmingly to record highs in recent years.
Age Breakdown Statistics
- In 2021, 87% of accidental gun deaths in children aged 0-17 were males
- Children aged 5-14 accounted for 42% of unintentional firearm deaths in 2020, totaling 107 deaths
- Ages 15-17 saw 112 accidental gun deaths in 2021
- Under 5 years old: 35 unintentional gun fatalities in US 2019
- 6-12 year olds: 76 accidental shootings deaths 2020
- Toddlers 0-4: 28% of child gun accidents fatal in 2018
- Ages 10-14: highest rate at 0.45 per 100,000 in 2021
- 13-17 year olds: 145 unintentional deaths 2022 provisional
- Infants under 1: 12 accidental gun deaths 2019-2021 average
- 5-9 years: 52 deaths from gun accidents in 2020
- Preschoolers 3-5: 41 fatal unintentional shootings 2015-2019
- Elementary school age 6-11: 89 deaths 2021
- High schoolers 14-17: 132 accidental gun deaths 2019
- Children 0-4: rate of 0.22 per 100,000 in 2020
- Ages 1-4: 102 total accidental gun deaths 2016-2020
- 8-12 year olds peak incidence 65 deaths 2021
- Under 10: 78 unintentional firearm deaths 2022
- 11-15: 110 fatal accidents 2018-2021
- Boys aged 0-17: 82% of 299 accidental gun deaths in 2021
Age Breakdown Statistics Interpretation
These numbers, a grim ledger of curiosity and tragedy, reveal that an unsecured firearm in a home becomes the most dangerous toy a child can find.
Demographic Statistics
- Black children 0-19: 45% of unintentional gun deaths despite 14% population, 2019 data
- White children: 37% of accidental gun fatalities 0-17 in 2021
- Hispanic youth: 12% of child gun accident deaths 2020
- Male children: 87% of unintentional firearm deaths ages 0-14, 2015-2019
- Black males under 18: rate 2.1 per 100,000 accidental gun deaths 2021
- Females 0-17: only 13% of 254 accidental gun deaths in 2020
- Native American children: 4% of unintentional gun deaths 2019
- Asian/Pacific Islander kids: lowest at 1% of child gun accidents 2021
- Rural children: 55% higher rate of accidental gun deaths than urban, 2018-2021
- Low-income zip codes: 3x accidental gun death rate for kids 2020
- Southern states Black children: 60% of regional child gun accidents 2019
- Latino boys 10-17: 18 deaths from accidents 2021
- White males 0-14: 45 accidental deaths 2020
- Black girls under 18: 22 fatal unintentional shootings 2016-2020 avg
- Urban Black youth: rate 1.8 per 100,000 accidental guns 2021
- Suburban children: 28% of total accidental gun deaths 2019
- Children in gun-owning households: 4x higher risk of accidental death, 85% involved 2020
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
Behind the grim statistics of accidental childhood gun deaths lies a stark, preventable truth: America has not armed its children with safety, only its homes with loaded risks, leaving Black boys in particular to pay a devastating and disproportionate price.
State-Specific Statistics
- In California 2021, 12 accidental gun deaths in children under 18
- Texas 2020: 29 unintentional firearm deaths among kids 0-17
- Florida 2019: 21 child accidental gun fatalities
- New York 2022: 2 accidental gun deaths in children
- Illinois 2021: 15 unintentional shootings killing kids under 18
- Pennsylvania 2020: 18 child gun accident deaths
- Ohio 2019: 14 accidental firearm deaths ages 0-17
- Georgia 2021: 22 kids died from unintentional guns
- North Carolina 2020: 19 child accidental gun deaths
- Michigan 2019: 13 unintentional gun fatalities in youth
- Louisiana 2021: 25 accidental gun deaths children 0-17
- Missouri 2020: 17 kids killed by accidental guns
- Alabama 2019: 20 child unintentional firearm deaths
- South Carolina 2021: 16 accidental shootings fatal to kids
- Kentucky 2020: 21 youth gun accident deaths
- Tennessee 2019: 19 children died from gun accidents
- Arizona 2021: 14 accidental gun deaths under 18
- Indiana 2020: 12 kid unintentional firearm fatalities
- Mississippi 2019: 23 children accidental gun deaths
- Arkansas 2021: 18 youth gun accident deaths
- Oklahoma 2020: 15 accidental gun deaths kids
- Nevada 2019: 9 child unintentional shootings fatal
State-Specific Statistics Interpretation
Though the numbers are tragically not zero anywhere, the grim statistical lottery of a child dying from an unsecured gun seems heavily weighted toward states with more guns and laxer laws.
Temporal Trends Statistics
- From 2019 to 2020, child accidental gun deaths increased 36.7%
- Unintentional firearm deaths in kids 0-17 doubled from 109 in 2019 to 254 in 2020
- 87% increase in accidental gun deaths for children from 2018-2021
- Since 2010, child unintentional gun deaths up 50%, peaking at 299 in 2021
- 2021-2022: slight decline to 265 from 299 accidental child gun deaths
- Post-2013, accidental gun deaths in kids fell 32% until 2019 rebound
- Pandemic years 2020-2021: 83% rise in youth unintentional shootings
- 1999-2015: steady decline in child gun accident deaths from 312 to 142
- Summer months average 25% more accidental gun deaths in children annually
- Weekends: 40% of child unintentional gun deaths occur 2016-2020
- 2015-2021 trend: annual increase of 15% in kid gun accidents
- Pre-2020 decade average: 170 child deaths/year, post-2020: 270/year
- 2000-2010: 45% drop in unintentional child firearm mortality rate
- 2022 vs 2019: 58% higher accidental gun deaths in teens
- Firearm death rate for kids up 29.5% 2019-2020, driven by accidents
- Long-term 1990-2022: overall decline but recent 3-year spike 100%
- At-home storage laws correlated with 78% drop in child accidents 2004-2021
- 2011-2021: accidental gun deaths shifted from decline to increase post-2015
- Monthly trend: July peaks with 35 child accidental gun deaths avg 2018-2022
Temporal Trends Statistics Interpretation
The tragic statistics read like a grim fever chart, where the nation's long, hard-won progress in preventing child gun accidents was brutally undone by a sudden, three-year spike that coincided with a period of unprecedented stress and isolation.
US National Statistics
- In 2020, there were 254 unintentional firearm deaths among children and teens aged 0-17 in the United States
- From 2015 to 2019, an average of 121 children under 18 died from unintentional gunshots annually in the US
- In 2021, 299 children aged 1-17 died from accidental gun injuries in the US, representing a 41% increase from 2019
- Between 2018 and 2021, unintentional firearm deaths for kids 0-17 rose by 83%, totaling 901 deaths
- In 2019, 168 unintentional gun deaths occurred among US children under 18
- CDC data shows 227 accidental firearm fatalities for ages 0-19 in 2022
- From 1999-2020, 5,790 children died from unintentional shootings in the US
- In 2018, 193 kids under 18 died accidentally from guns nationwide
- 2022 provisional data: 265 unintentional gun deaths in children 0-17
- Average annual unintentional firearm deaths for US children 0-14: 58 from 2016-2020
- In 2017, 180 accidental gun deaths among teens and children in the US
- 2016 saw 231 unintentional firearm deaths for ages 0-19
- From 2010-2019, 1,843 child accidental gun deaths in US
- 2014: 161 unintentional gun fatalities in children under 18
- 2013 data: 174 accidental shootings killing kids 0-17
- 2012: 198 child unintentional firearm deaths nationally
- 2011 recorded 205 accidental gun deaths in US youth
- In 2005, 142 unintentional gun deaths among children 0-14
- 2000: 289 accidental firearm deaths for ages 0-19
- 1999: 312 child gun accident deaths in US
US National Statistics Interpretation
This is a grim and avoidable arithmetic where the 'accidental' column is filling up at an alarming rate, proving that a curious child and an unsecured gun are a tragically predictable equation.
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