Gun deaths reached a record 48,204 in one recent year. Rates differ sharply by age, race, gender, and location, with Black males aged 15 to 34 facing a homicide rate of 103.2 per 100,000. The data show consistent patterns across incident types and regions.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, gun suicides for men: 22.9 per 100,000, women: 3.7.
- In 2022, there were 48,204 gun deaths in the US, marking the highest annual total on record, with a rate of 14.5 per 100,000 people.
- Gun death rate: DC 28.5, Mississippi 28.6 per 100k 2021.
- Homicides by firearm: 77% of all murders (2021 FBI).
- Gun deaths rose 43% from 2010-2020.
Gun violence remains a major US public health crisis, with thousands of deaths and injuries every year.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns25 stats
01
In 2021, gun suicides for men: 22.9 per 100,000, women: 3.7.
02
Black males aged 15-34 face gun homicide rate of 103.2 per 100,000.
03
Women comprised 13% of gun homicide victims in 2021 (2,670 deaths).
04
Hispanic youth gun death rate: 6.1 per 100,000 vs 1.8 for non-Hispanic whites (2021).
05
Gun suicide rate for adults 75+: 40.5 per 100,000 males.
06
American Indian/Alaska Native gun death rate: 25.5 per 100,000 (2021).
07
Children under 12: 531 accidental gun deaths 2015-2021.
08
87% of gun murder victims are male, per FBI data 2015-2021 average.
09
Black children (0-19): 14.4 gun deaths per 100,000 vs 1.7 white.
10
Rural gun death rate 16.5 per 100,000 vs urban 12.1 (2019-2021).
11
Gun suicides peak at ages 85+ for both sexes, 50+ per 100,000 men.
12
Female intimate partner gun homicides: 70% of women killed by partners.
13
Asian/Pacific Islander gun homicide rate: 1.2 per 100,000 (2021).
14
Teens 18-19: 35 gun deaths per 100,000 males Black.
15
Gun violence victims under 25: 60% Black despite 13% population.
16
Elderly (65+) gun suicide rate: 21.4 per 100,000, 80% male.
17
LGBTQ+ youth face 4x higher gun violence victimization rates.
18
Veterans: gun suicide rate 23.5 per 100,000 vs 14.0 civilian.
19
Low-income zip codes: gun homicide 5x higher than affluent areas.
20
Transgender individuals: 45% report intimate partner gun threats.
21
Native Hawaiian youth gun death rate: 12.3 per 100,000.
22
Gun homicides among pregnant women up 25% post-2019.
23
Mass shootings: 97% of shooters male, average age 33.
24
Gun suicides: whites 79% of victims, 93% rural.
25
Black females gun homicide rate: 4.2 per 100,000 (2021).
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
The cold, clear math of American gun violence reveals a nation where the bullets find you not by chance, but by your age, your race, your gender, your zip code, and the heavy weight of your despair.
02 · Category
Fatalities and Injuries30 stats
01
In 2022, there were 48,204 gun deaths in the US, marking the highest annual total on record, with a rate of 14.5 per 100,000 people.
02
Firearm injuries treated in US emergency departments totaled 155,235 in 2021, a 29% increase from 2020.
03
From 2019-2021, gun violence caused over 120,000 deaths, averaging more than 100 per day.
04
Nonfatal firearm injuries reached 81,000 in 2021, with medical costs exceeding $2.1 billion annually.
05
Children and teens (0-19) accounted for 2,590 gun deaths in 2021, 79% higher than 2019.
06
Gunshot wounds are the leading cause of death for US children and adolescents, surpassing motor vehicle crashes and cancer combined.
07
In 2023, preliminary data shows over 43,000 gun deaths, with suicides comprising 54%.
08
Firearm homicide rates rose 35% from 2019 to 2020, from 4.5 to 6.1 per 100,000.
09
Unintentional firearm deaths totaled 534 in 2021, primarily among males aged 0-44.
10
Hospitalizations for firearm assaults increased 41% from 2019 to 2020.
11
Gun violence medical spending hit $12.9 billion in 2021 for hospitalizations alone.
12
Black Americans experienced 29.3 gun deaths per 100,000 in 2021, vs 2.1 for whites.
13
Males accounted for 87% of gun deaths in 2021, totaling 39,707.
14
Firearm suicides reached 26,993 in 2021, 55% of all suicides.
15
Gun homicides surged 45% in large cities from 2019 to 2021.
16
Pediatric firearm injuries cost $1.3 billion in emergency care from 2012-2021.
17
Defensive gun uses are estimated at 500,000 to 3 million annually, per varying studies.
18
Mass shooting deaths totaled 693 in 2021 across 43 incidents.
19
Gun deaths among youth (1-17) hit 2,561 in 2022, up 50% from 2019.
20
Firearm injury disparities show Black children 18 times more likely to die than white children.
21
In 2020, gun murders rose to 19,384, highest since 1990.
22
Non-suicide gun deaths increased 13% from 2021 to 2022.
23
Firearm-related ED visits for ages 0-17 doubled from 2019 to 2022.
24
Total gun violence victims in 2023: over 42,000 dead, 37,000 wounded.
25
Gunshot survival rate is 80-90%, but long-term disability affects 20-30%.
26
Annual economic cost of gun violence exceeds $557 billion, including $45B medical.
27
Firearm homicides for ages 15-34: 18.4 per 100,000 for Black males.
28
Unintentional shootings injure 15,958 annually on average (2015-2019).
29
Gun deaths per 100,000: 14.2 in 2021, highest among high-income nations.
30
Mass casualty shootings (4+ killed) averaged 4 per year pre-2019, 11 in 2023.
Interpretation
Fatalities and Injuries Interpretation
We have tragically become a nation where the leading cause of death for our children is now a political talking point, and the financial, physical, and moral costs are mounting with each record-shattering statistic.
03 · Category
Geographic Distribution26 stats
01
Gun death rate: DC 28.5, Mississippi 28.6 per 100k 2021.
02
California: 8.5 gun deaths per 100k, lowest state rate 2021.
03
Chicago: 617 gun homicides in 2022.
04
Louisiana highest gun death rate 25.2 per 100k.
05
Mass shootings highest in TX, FL, CA (2023).
06
Rural areas: 60% gun deaths suicides vs 40% urban.
07
Philadelphia: 516 gun homicides 2021-2022 avg.
08
Alaska: 72% households own guns, death rate 23.9.
09
NYC: gun violence down 25% post-strict laws.
10
Missouri: 21.2 gun deaths/100k post-permitless carry.
11
South: 64% of gun homicides national total.
12
Baltimore: 80% murders by gun, rate 50+/100k.
13
Wyoming: highest gun suicide rate 32.1/100k.
14
Gun trafficking: 70% guns in NYC from 5 states.
15
Detroit: 309 gun homicides 2023.
16
Hawaii: lowest gun death 2.1/100k.
17
St. Louis: highest per capita homicide 69.4/100k.
18
Northeast: lowest regional gun death 7.8/100k.
19
Memphis: 304 gun homicides 2023.
20
Montana: 26.6 gun deaths/100k, mostly suicides.
21
LA County: 1,200+ gun deaths annually.
22
DC: 23.7 gun homicides/100k residents.
23
Oklahoma: 21.3/100k, high rural suicides.
24
New Orleans: 266 homicides, 90% gun 2023.
25
West Virginia: 21.3/100k gun deaths.
26
Houston: 435 gun homicides 2023.
Interpretation
Geographic Distribution Interpretation
The statistics paint a grimly predictable portrait: where guns are ubiquitous and laws are lax, death rates soar, while regions with stricter controls see far fewer tragedies, proving that the weapon's prevalence, not just geography, writes this bloody map.
More related reading
04 · Category
Incident Types25 stats
01
Homicides by firearm: 77% of all murders (2021 FBI).
02
Suicides by gun: 54% of all US suicides (2021).
03
Mass shootings (4+ injured/killed): 633 in 2023.
04
Domestic violence gun homicides: 1 woman killed every 14 hours.
05
Accidental shootings: 548 deaths, 14,962 injuries in 2022.
06
Police shootings: 1,232 people shot by police 2023, 50% fatal.
07
Gang-related gun homicides: 13% of total urban murders.
08
School shootings: 346 incidents in 2022-2023 school year.
09
Road rage shootings: 522 incidents in 2023.
10
Workplace gun violence: 457 incidents 2014-2023.
11
Defensive gun uses: 1.5 million criminally victimizing uses annually (NCVS).
12
Officer-involved shootings: 72% handgun, 25% rifle (2023).
13
Public mass shootings: 4 per day average in 2023 (GVA def).
14
Gun thefts from vehicles: 1.3 million firearms 2017-2021.
15
Drive-by shootings: 30% of urban homicides.
16
Suicide attempts by gun: 85% fatal vs 5% other methods.
17
Active shooter incidents: 48 in 2023, 94% ended before police arrival.
18
Bar/nightclub shootings: 214 incidents 2023.
19
Child access prevention failures: 75% of child gun deaths home guns.
20
Insanity defense in mass shootings: used in 1% of cases.
21
Gun show sales linked to 20% trace to crime (ATF).
22
Hunting accidents: 521 nonfatal injuries annually.
23
Protest-related shootings: 125 incidents post-2020.
24
Family/domestic: 52% of female homicides by gun.
25
Robbery gun use: 40% of armed robberies involve firearms.
Interpretation
Incident Types Interpretation
The American experiment seems to be stress-testing the second amendment with a grim, daily audit that tallies our dead in bedrooms, schools, and streets, proving that the right to bear arms has, in practice, become a far more efficient guarantee of the right to be buried by them.
05 · Category
Trends Over Time26 stats
01
Gun deaths rose 43% from 2010-2020.
02
Mass shootings tripled from 2014-2023 (649 to 633 annually).
03
Gun homicide rate peaked at 7.3 per 100k in 2021.
04
Firearm suicides declined 7% from 2019-2022 for youth.
05
Total gun deaths: 38,390 in 2019 to 48,204 in 2022 (+25%).
06
Black gun homicide rate up 50% 2019-2021.
07
Permitless carry states saw 20% homicide rise post-law.
08
Gun production: 23 million firearms manufactured 2022.
09
Youth gun deaths doubled 2019-2022.
10
Pandemic surge: gun violence up 30% in 200 largest cities 2020.
11
Background checks: 28 million in 2023, record high.
12
Gun suicides steady at 50% of total suicides since 2000.
13
Female gun deaths up 15% 2016-2021.
14
Concealed carry permits: 22 million nationwide 2023.
15
Gun trafficking seizures up 25% 2019-2022.
16
School gun violence: 39 incidents 2023-24 so far.
17
States with assault weapon bans: 20% lower mass shooting rate.
18
Gun ownership: 32% households 2023, stable since 2010.
19
Homicides fell 12% in 2023 after 2020 peak.
20
Rural gun deaths rose 40% 1999-2020.
21
Gun import surge: 1.8 million from abroad 2022.
22
Extreme risk laws reduced suicides 7.5% in 4 states.
23
Universal checks states: 15% lower gun death rates.
24
Gun violence restraint orders prevented 180 suicides.
25
Firearm death rate for kids 10x OECD average 2021.
26
States expanding Medicaid saw 6% gun death drop.
Interpretation
Trends Over Time Interpretation
The statistics paint a grimly American portrait: as we manufactured a record number of guns and loosened the rules for carrying them, we watched in horror as the predictable result unfolded, with our most vulnerable communities paying the steepest price while proven solutions languished on the legislative shelf.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Gun Violence In The Us Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-violence-in-the-us-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Gun Violence In The Us Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gun-violence-in-the-us-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Gun Violence In The Us Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-violence-in-the-us-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level