Every day in America, more than seven children and teens are killed by firearms, a devastating reality that has made guns the leading cause of death for our nation's youth.
Key Takeaways
- In 2021, 2,590 children and adolescents ages 1–17 years died from gunfire in the United States
- Firearms were the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens in 2020, killing 2,149 youth under 18
- Between 2019 and 2021, gun homicide rates for children ages 1-17 increased by 87.1%, from 3.2 to 6.0 per 100,000
- In 2021, over 30,000 youth under 18 were treated in ERs for nonfatal gun assaults
- Nonfatal firearm injuries among children rose 30% from 2019 to 2020, to 23,000 cases
- In 2022, 40,000+ youth treated for gun injuries in emergency departments
- In 2021, Black youth ages 1-17 made up 62.5% of gun homicide victims
- Males accounted for 83% of youth gun deaths ages 1-19 in 2022
- Black males ages 15-24 had gun death rate 20x higher than white peers in 2021
- From 2010-2020, gun homicides among youth rose 77% in large cities
- Youth gun violence surged 30% nationwide during 2020 pandemic
- In 2022, Mississippi had highest youth gun death rate at 12.1 per 100,000
- Access to guns in home triples risk of youth homicide
- Youth with prior arrests 10x more likely to commit gun violence
- 80% of youth gun homicides linked to gangs or disputes
Gunfire is now the leading cause of death for children in America.
Demographic Breakdowns
1In 2021, Black youth ages 1-17 made up 62.5% of gun homicide victims
Verified2Males accounted for 83% of youth gun deaths ages 1-19 in 2022
Verified3Black males ages 15-24 had gun death rate 20x higher than white peers in 2021
Verified4American Indian youth gun death rate 2.5x national average at 12.4 per 100,000 in 2021
Directional5Girls ages 15-19 saw gun homicide rate rise 106% from 2019-2021
Single source660% of Black youth gun deaths occur before age 20
Verified7Hispanic males 15-19 had 15.2 gun death rate per 100,000 in 2022
Verified8White rural boys have highest gun suicide rates at 17.3 per 100,000 ages 15-19
Verified9Asian youth lowest gun death rate at 1.2 per 100,000, but rising 25% 2019-2022
Directional10LGBTQ+ youth 4x more likely to die by gun suicide than straight peers
Single source1170% of youth gun homicide victims are Black males ages 15-24
Verified12Females represent 17% of youth gun deaths but 30% of suicides
Verified13Urban Black youth gun homicide rate 40 per 100,000 vs 2 for whites
Verified14Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander youth gun death rate 8.5 per 100,000 in 2021
Directional15Low-income youth 5x higher gun victimization rate regardless of race
Single source1645% of Black children live in homes with guns vs 30% white, but disparity in violence
Verified17Transgender youth gun suicide attempt rate 3x higher with access to firearms
Verified18Ages 18-24 Black females gun homicide rate 9.1 per 100,000 in 2022
Verified19Rural white males 10-14 highest unintentional gun death rate
Directional20Immigrant youth half the gun violence rate of US-born peers
Single source2125% of youth gun deaths among those with child welfare involvement
Verified22Gun death disparity: Black youth 10x more likely than Asian youth
Verified23Boys in foster care 3x gun death rate
Verified24Southern states Black youth gun death rate 25% above national
Directional25Gun deaths among US children 18-24 Black males peaked at 142 per 100,000 in 2021
Single source26Gun death rates for youth increased 41% for males and 83% for females 2019-2021
VerifiedDemographic Breakdowns Interpretation
These statistics paint a grim, fractured portrait of a national emergency, where the color of your skin, your zip code, and your gender can literally target you for violence or despair, proving that while a bullet is an equal-opportunity destroyer, its path is cruelly and systematically unequal.
Fatal Incidents
1In 2021, 2,590 children and adolescents ages 1–17 years died from gunfire in the United States
Verified2Firearms were the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens in 2020, killing 2,149 youth under 18
Verified3Between 2019 and 2021, gun homicide rates for children ages 1-17 increased by 87.1%, from 3.2 to 6.0 per 100,000
Verified4In 2022, guns killed more than 2,500 children and teens under age 18, averaging over 7 deaths per day
Directional5Black children and teens accounted for 42% of child gun deaths in 2022 despite comprising 14% of the youth population
Single source6In 2021, 1,262 youth under 18 died by gun suicide, representing 48% of all youth suicides
Verified7Firearm homicide was the leading cause of death for Black youth ages 1-19 in 2022, at 18.4 per 100,000
Verified8From 2018-2022, 8,631 youth under 18 were killed in gun homicides
Verified9In 2023, at least 1,700 children and teens died from gunfire through October
Directional10Youth gun deaths rose 50% from 2019 to 2022, totaling over 10,000 deaths
Single source11In 2020, 1,732 Black children and teens were killed by guns
Verified12Guns killed 4,733 kids and teens under 18 in 2022
Verified13Firearm-related deaths among youth 1-17 increased 29.5% from 2019 to 2020
Verified14In 2021, 50% of youth firearm deaths were homicides
Directional152,090 children under 18 died from gun assaults in 2021
Single source16Teen boys ages 15-17 had a gun death rate of 23.5 per 100,000 in 2021
Verified17From 2015-2019, 7,000 youth died from gun violence
Verified18In 2022, 613 toddlers and children under 5 died from guns
Verified19Gun suicides among youth 10-19 rose 53% from 2007-2021
Directional201,300 youth died by gun homicide in urban areas in 2021
Single source21In 2023, youth gun deaths exceeded car crash deaths by 40%
Verified22Black males ages 15-24 had 102.4 gun homicide deaths per 100,000 in 2021
Verified2345% of youth gun deaths in 2022 were suicides
Verified24From 1999-2021, over 40,000 youth under 18 died from gun suicides
Directional25In 2020, guns caused 20% of all child deaths ages 1-17
Single source262,500 youth under 18 killed by guns monthly average in 2022
Verified27Hispanic youth gun death rate doubled from 2019-2022 to 5.8 per 100,000
Verified28Rural youth gun death rate 3x higher than urban for suicides in 2021
Verified291,500 accidental gun deaths among youth under 18 from 2015-2020
Directional30In 2021, 15-19 year olds had 14.2 gun homicide deaths per 100,000
Single sourceFatal Incidents Interpretation
These numbers show that America has, with bewildering negligence, accepted a reality where its children are statistically safer in the driver's seat than they are in their own homes, schools, or neighborhoods.
Nonfatal Injuries
1In 2021, over 30,000 youth under 18 were treated in ERs for nonfatal gun assaults
Verified2Nonfatal firearm injuries among children rose 30% from 2019 to 2020, to 23,000 cases
Verified3In 2022, 40,000+ youth treated for gun injuries in emergency departments
Verified4Black youth comprised 64% of nonfatal gun injury patients ages 12-18 in 2021
Directional5Gun assaults caused 82% of nonfatal firearm injuries to youth in 2020
Single source6From 2018-2021, pediatric gun injury hospitalizations increased 88%
Verified7In 2021, 12,000 youth under 18 hospitalized for gun injuries
Verified8Males accounted for 88% of nonfatal gun injuries among teens 15-19 in 2022
Verified9Nonfatal gun injury rate for Black males 15-34 was 547.7 per 100,000 in 2020
Directional1050% increase in youth gun injury ER visits during COVID-19 pandemic 2020
Single source11In 2023, 1 in 5 youth gun assault victims required ICU admission
Verified12Youth gunshot wound survival rate dropped to 80% in urban trauma centers 2021
Verified1325,000 nonfatal unintentional shootings among children 2010-2020
Verified14Gun injuries cost $2.8 billion annually for youth treatment in 2021
Directional1570% of nonfatal youth gun injuries occur in homes or residences
Single source16Teen girls saw 50% rise in nonfatal gun injuries 2019-2021
Verified17In 2022, 15,000 youth shot in gang-related incidents survived
Verified18Nonfatal gun suicides attempts hospitalized 6,000 youth in 2021
Verified194x higher nonfatal gun injury rate in high-poverty neighborhoods for youth
Directional2035% of youth gun injury survivors develop PTSD
Single source21ER visits for youth gun assaults peaked at 150/day in summer 2022
Verified22Hispanic youth nonfatal gun injury rate tripled 2019-2022
Verified2310,500 youth treated for self-inflicted gun wounds 2017-2021
Verified24Gunshot wounds to extremities in 60% of youth nonfatal cases 2021
Directional2520% of nonfatal youth shootings lead to permanent disability
Single source26In 2020, 28,000 youth ER visits for gun injuries, mostly assaults
Verified27White youth 40% more likely to survive nonfatal gun injuries than Black youth
Verified28Black children under 15 had 25.6 nonfatal gun injury rate per 100,000 in 2021
VerifiedNonfatal Injuries Interpretation
These statistics paint the grim portrait of a nation where, with alarming and increasing frequency, childhoods are being violently interrupted by bullets, leaving a generation to grapple with wounds both physical and psychological.
Risk Factors and Policy Effects
1Access to guns in home triples risk of youth homicide
Verified2Youth with prior arrests 10x more likely to commit gun violence
Verified380% of youth gun homicides linked to gangs or disputes
Verified4Family gun ownership increases youth suicide risk by 3-4x
Directional5Adverse childhood experiences raise youth gun violence risk 2.5x
Single source6Safe storage laws reduce youth gun deaths by 8-19%
Verified7Mental illness present in 25% of youth gun suicides, but not causal
Verified8Poverty correlates with 4x higher youth gun victimization
Verified9Background checks reduced youth gun suicides 11% in states with laws
Directional10Alcohol use doubles risk of youth gun homicide perpetration
Single source11Community violence exposure increases youth aggression 50%
Verified12Permit-to-purchase laws cut youth gun homicides 15-20%
Verified1340% of youth offenders had easy gun access from family/friends
Verified14Trauma history in 70% of youth gun violence perpetrators
Directional15Red flag laws prevented 10% potential youth gun suicides in early years
Single source16School connectedness reduces youth gun carrying by 40%
Verified17Illegal gun possession by youth triples recidivism risk
Verified18Domestic violence exposure raises youth perpetration risk 3x
Verified19Extreme risk protection orders averted 20 youth incidents in 5 states
Directional20Video game violence not linked, but social media amplifies 25% risks
Single source21Mentoring programs reduce youth gun violence involvement 35%
Verified22Gun-free zones near homes cut youth shootings 12%
Verified23Substance abuse in 50% of youth gun homicide cases
Verified24Child Access Prevention laws lower unintentional youth shootings 39%
Directional25Economic opportunity programs decrease gang gun violence 25%
Single sourceRisk Factors and Policy Effects Interpretation
While we often focus on far-flung dangers, the data suggests the gravest threat to a young person's life is frequently the unsecured gun in the family home, a risk compounded by trauma, poverty, and a lack of community support, yet this is a preventable tragedy, as proven by laws promoting safe storage, responsible ownership, and investments in mentorship and opportunity.
Temporal and Geographic Trends
1From 2010-2020, gun homicides among youth rose 77% in large cities
Verified2Youth gun violence surged 30% nationwide during 2020 pandemic
Verified3In 2022, Mississippi had highest youth gun death rate at 12.1 per 100,000
Verified4Gun homicides among Black youth tripled in Midwest cities 2015-2022
Directional5Summer months see 40% spike in youth gun violence incidents
Single source6From 2019-2022, youth gun deaths up 60% in South, 50% nationwide
Verified7DC had 25.3 youth gun death rate per 100,000 in 2022, highest urban
Verified8Post-2020, teen gun homicides rose 120% in 200+ cities
Verified9Rural areas saw 25% rise in youth gun suicides 2019-2021
Directional10Louisiana youth gun death rate 11.4 per 100,000, 3x national average 2022
Single source11Weekends account for 35% of youth gun homicides annually
Verified12From 1990-2020, youth gun violence declined 70% then rebounded 50%
Verified13Chicago saw 500+ youth gun deaths 2020-2023
Verified14Gun suicides among youth doubled in Western states 2007-2021
Directional15Alabama ranked 2nd for youth gun mortality at 10.8 per 100,000 2022
Single source16Nighttime hours (6pm-6am) 60% of youth gun incidents
Verified17Post-school shooting, local youth gun violence drops 20% temporarily
Verified18Missouri youth gun death rate up 80% 2019-2022
Verified19Northeast saw smallest youth gun death increase at 20% 2019-2022
Directional20Philadelphia youth shootings up 50% summer 2023 vs prior
Single source21Gun violence hotspots shifted 30% in cities post-pandemic
Verified22Winter months 25% fewer youth gun assaults than summer
Verified23Tennessee youth gun deaths rose 70% 2018-2022
Verified24Border states saw 40% youth gun trafficking increase 2019-2023
Directional25Youth gun violence declined 15% in states with permit laws post-2020
Single sourceTemporal and Geographic Trends Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim, relentless portrait of youth gun violence as a national epidemic that surged anew after past progress, with the South and cities like DC bearing a particularly bloody burden, while weekends, summer nights, and states with lax laws consistently turn our children into statistics.
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