Behind every staggering statistic on gun violence in America lies a shattered life, as evidenced by the nearly 49,000 lives lost in 2022 alone, a devastating reality now claiming more young lives than car crashes.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, there were 48,830 gun-related deaths in the US, including homicides, suicides, and accidents
- Firearm-related mortality rate in the US reached 14.8 per 100,000 population in 2022
- From 2019 to 2021, gun deaths increased by 23% among US children and teens aged 1-17
- In 2021, 14,616 people died by gun suicide
- Gun suicides accounted for 54% of all suicides in 2021
- White males had a gun suicide rate of 28.1 per 100,000 in 2021
- In 2021, gun homicides reached 20,726, highest since 1993
- Firearm homicides among youth aged 1-17 rose 41% from 2018-2021
- In major cities, gun homicides surged 40% in 2020
- In 2022, 653 mass shootings defined as 4+ victims shot
- 2023 saw 656 mass shootings by December, highest on record
- Uvalde school shooting killed 21, injured 17 on May 24, 2022
- Nearly 2 million people injured by guns from 2017-2021
- Gunshot injuries cost $2.8 billion in hospital charges in 2016
- Non-fatal gun assaults average 80,000 annually
American gun violence has risen sharply, with record deaths and mass shootings plaguing the nation.
Fatal Gun Violence
1In 2022, there were 48,830 gun-related deaths in the US, including homicides, suicides, and accidents
Verified2Firearm-related mortality rate in the US reached 14.8 per 100,000 population in 2022
Verified3From 2019 to 2021, gun deaths increased by 23% among US children and teens aged 1-17
Verified4Black Americans accounted for 60% of gun homicide victims in 2021 despite being 14% of the population
Directional5Gun deaths surpassed car crash deaths as the leading cause of death for US children and adolescents in 2020
Single source6In 2021, 48,830 people died by gunfire in the US, averaging 134 deaths per day
Verified7Firearm suicides made up 54.4% of all gun deaths in 2021
Verified8Homicides by firearm accounted for 43% of all gun deaths in 2021
Verified9From 2015-2019, the gun death rate for men was 4.3 times higher than for women
Directional10Rural areas saw a 40% increase in gun death rates from 2011 to 2021
Single source11In 2020, gun deaths hit a record high of 45,222
Verified12Firearm mortality among Black males aged 15-34 was 105.3 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified13US gun death rate is 13.7 per 100,000, 14 times higher than France
Verified1479% of all homicides in 2021 involved a firearm
Directional15Gun deaths in the US rose 43% from 2010 to 2021
Single source16In 2022, 691 mass shootings occurred, resulting in over 700 deaths
Verified17Firearms were used in 77% of all murders in 2021
Verified18From 1999-2020, 692,824 people died from gun violence
Verified19Gun death rate for ages 1-19 was 3.7 per 100,000 in 2021
Directional20In 2023, preliminary data shows over 43,000 gun deaths
Single source21Firearm homicides increased 45% from 2019 to 2021
Verified22In 2021, 20,958 gun homicides occurred
Verified23Firearms used in 53% of all homicides from 1980-2008, rising to 73% by 2021
Verified24Black males aged 15-44 had a gun homicide rate of 53.8 per 100,000 in 2021
Directional25Gun homicides in large cities increased 30% during COVID-19 pandemic
Single source26In 2022, 24,090 gun murders and non-negligent manslaughters
Verified27Hispanic gun homicide victims rose 50% from 2019-2021
Verified28Firearms involved in 89% of Black homicide deaths in 2021
Verified29Gun homicides among children under 18 doubled from 2019 to 2022
Directional30In 2021, gun homicides were highest in the South with 7.1 per 100,000
Single source31Nationally, gun homicide rate for ages 1-17 was 3.6 per 100,000 in 2021
VerifiedFatal Gun Violence Interpretation
If the data is a mirror, then America is staring back at a nation where the leading cause of death for its children is no longer an accident but a bullet, where the promise of life is statistically fractured along lines of race and geography, and where we have quietly accepted a daily ritual of mourning over 134 souls lost to a uniquely American epidemic of violence.
Gun Homicides
1In 2021, gun homicides reached 20,726, highest since 1993
Verified2Firearm homicides among youth aged 1-17 rose 41% from 2018-2021
Verified3In major cities, gun homicides surged 40% in 2020
Verified4Black youth gun homicide rate 18.8x higher than white youth in 2021
Directional580% of gun homicides occur in urban areas
Single source6Gang-related gun homicides account for 13% of total homicides
Verified7Domestic violence-related gun homicides increased 12% post-2019
Verified8In 2022, Philadelphia saw 516 gun homicides
Verified9Firearm homicide rate for Black females 15x higher than white females
Directional10Handguns used in 59% of gun homicides in 2021
Single source11Gun homicides in the US are 25x higher than other high-income countries
Verified12Teen boys aged 15-19 had gun homicide rate of 19.2 per 100,000
Verified13Justification homicides with guns averaged 1,000 annually
Verified14Chicago recorded 697 gun homicides in 2021
Directional15Gun homicides linked to drugs/organized crime in 20% of cases
Single source16Baltimore gun homicide rate 50 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified17Firearm homicides rose 30% in suburbs 2019-2021
Verified18Women victims of gun homicide often killed by intimate partners at 34x rate
Verified19Gun homicides in schools averaged 20 per year 2018-2022
Directional20St. Louis had highest gun homicide rate 69.4 per 100,000 in 2022
Single source21Police shot and killed 1,176 people with guns in 2023
Verified22New Orleans gun homicide rate 73 per 100,000 in 2022
VerifiedGun Homicides Interpretation
This tragic, infuriating data paints a portrait of an American failure, where a lethal epidemic of inequality and access claims tens of thousands, disproportionately shattering Black communities, cities, and youth, while our political inaction remains the one consistent statistic.
Gun Injuries
1Nearly 2 million people injured by guns from 2017-2021
Verified2Gunshot injuries cost $2.8 billion in hospital charges in 2016
Verified3Non-fatal gun assaults average 80,000 annually
Verified4Children under 18 hospitalized for gun injuries doubled 2010-2022
Directional5150,000+ non-fatal gun injuries yearly
Single source6Gun injury rate for Black males 25-34 is 328 per 100,000
Verified7Emergency dept visits for gun assaults up 49% 2019-2021
Verified8Paralysis from gun injuries affects 17,000 yearly
Verified9Pediatric gun injuries cost $1.3 billion 2010-2020
Directional1040% of gun injury survivors suffer PTSD
Single source11Nonfatal gun victimizations 467,000 annually 2017-2021
Verified12Hospital stays for gun injuries averaged 4.5 days, cost $19,800 each
Verified13Gun injuries among women rose 70% 2019-2022
Verified1480% of gun injuries from assaults, 10% unintentional
Directional15Lifetime medical costs for gun injuries exceed $2.5 billion yearly
Single source16Teen gun injury hospitalization rate 10.5 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified17Rural gun injury rates 20% higher than urban post-2019
Verified18Defensive gun uses result in 500,000 injuries yearly estimate
Verified19Gunshot wounds require 6.5x more surgeries than other trauma
Directional2025,000 children injured by guns annually 2015-2019
Single source21Nonfatal gun injuries disproportionately affect low-income areas
Verified22Medicare paid $90 million for gun injuries in 2019
Verified23Gun injuries lead to 30% amputation rate in survivors
Verified24Women gun injury victims often from IPV, 1 million since 2016
Directional252022 saw 40,000+ nonfatal gun injuries tracked
Single source26Gun injury disparities: Black rate 10x Asian rate
VerifiedGun Injuries Interpretation
Behind the staggering numbers—from a child’s hospital bill to an amputee’s PTSD to a city's trauma ward—our nation is not just debating rights, but hemorrhaging lives, limbs, and treasure at a pace so relentless it has become the brutal new normal.
Gun Suicides
1In 2021, 14,616 people died by gun suicide
Verified2Gun suicides accounted for 54% of all suicides in 2021
Verified3White males had a gun suicide rate of 28.1 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified4From 2019-2020, gun suicides increased by 2.5%
Directional5Elderly men over 75 had the highest gun suicide rate at 40.5 per 100,000
Single source685% of gun suicides are by white males
Verified7States with higher gun ownership have 3x higher gun suicide rates
Verified8Gun suicides rose 36% from 2007-2021 among rural populations
Verified9In 2022, 27,000 gun suicides estimated
Directional10Veterans account for 13.5% of gun suicides despite being 7% of population
Single source11Gun suicide rate for men is 5.9 times higher than women
Verified12From 1999-2020, 398,368 gun suicides occurred
Verified13Midwest had gun suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified14Youth gun suicides tripled from 2007-2021
Directional1550% of gun suicides involve handguns
Single source16Gun availability increases suicide risk by 3x in homes
Verified17In 2021, gun suicides outpaced gun homicides 2:1
Verified18American Indian/Alaska Native had gun suicide rate of 11.2 per 100,000
Verified19Gun suicides in children aged 10-19 increased 83% from 2011-2021
Directional20In 2023, over 15,000 gun suicides reported by mid-year
Single source21States with secure storage laws have 8% lower gun suicide rates
Verified22Gun suicide attempts have 85-90% fatality rate vs 5% for other methods
Verified23Rural gun suicide rate 2x urban in 2021
Verified24From 2015-2019, 60% of gun deaths were suicides
DirectionalGun Suicides Interpretation
It is a grim arithmetic where the weapons we stockpile for a sense of safety are statistically far more likely to complete a private tragedy, turning a moment of crisis into a finality as predictable as it is preventable.
Mass Shootings
1In 2022, 653 mass shootings defined as 4+ victims shot
Verified22023 saw 656 mass shootings by December, highest on record
Verified3Uvalde school shooting killed 21, injured 17 on May 24, 2022
Verified4Buffalo supermarket shooting killed 10 Black shoppers on May 14, 2022
Directional5Highland Park parade shooting killed 7, injured 48 on July 4, 2022
Single source6Monterey Park dance hall shooting killed 11 on Jan 21, 2023
Verified7Allen TX outlet mall shooting killed 8 on May 6, 2023
Verified8Nashville school shooting killed 6 on March 27, 2023
Verified9El Paso Walmart shooting killed 23 in 2019
Directional10Parkland Marjory Stoneman Douglas killed 17 in 2018
Single source11Las Vegas concert shooting killed 60, injured 411 in 2017
Verified12Pulse nightclub Orlando killed 49 in 2016
Verified13Sutherland Springs church shooting killed 26 in 2017
Verified14Dayton OH entertainment district killed 9 in 2019
Directional15San Bernardino workplace killed 14 in 2015
Single source16Virginia Beach municipal building killed 12 in 2019
Verified17Oxford MI school shooting killed 4 in 2021
Verified18Boulder CO supermarket killed 10 in 2021
Verified1982% of mass shooters obtained guns legally
Directional20Mass shootings increased 300% from 2013-2023
Single source21Public mass shootings average 1 every 64 days since 1982
Verified22In 2022, 647 people killed in mass shootings
Verified23Schools saw 346 gun incidents in 2022-2023 school year
Verified24Workplace mass shootings killed 179 from 2006-2017
Directional2554% of mass shooters had history of domestic violence
Single source26AR-15 style rifles used in 25 notable mass shootings since 1990
Verified27Mass shootings by white supremacists rose 320% 2014-2022
Verified28From 1966-2019, 172 public mass shooters killed 1,196
Verified29In 2023, 32 mass killings with 4+ deaths by gun
Directional30Active shooter incidents rose from 3 in 2000 to 80 in 2022
Single source31In 2021, 689 people injured in mass shootings
Verified32Mass shootings in houses of worship totaled 99 since 1999
VerifiedMass Shootings Interpretation
If the chilling monotony of these statistics were a sound, it would be the relentless rack of a slide being chambered, a nation repeatedly choosing to hear the shot rather than change the record.
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