In 2022, guns killed more than 2,500 children and teens under 18, averaging over 7 deaths per day, and tens of thousands more were left dealing with nonfatal injuries. The risk is not evenly distributed, from Black youth making up 62.5% of gun homicide victims in 2021 to youth in places like Mississippi facing far higher death rates. What those patterns reveal about who is most affected and why will be clearer once you look at the full set of statistics.
Key Takeaways
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Racial disparities and rising gun deaths and injuries show youth gun violence is still escalating nationwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographic Breakdowns26 stats
01
In 2021, Black youth ages 1-17 made up 62.5% of gun homicide victims
02
Males accounted for 83% of youth gun deaths ages 1-19 in 2022
03
Black males ages 15-24 had gun death rate 20x higher than white peers in 2021
04
American Indian youth gun death rate 2.5x national average at 12.4 per 100,000 in 2021
05
Girls ages 15-19 saw gun homicide rate rise 106% from 2019-2021
06
60% of Black youth gun deaths occur before age 20
07
Hispanic males 15-19 had 15.2 gun death rate per 100,000 in 2022
08
White rural boys have highest gun suicide rates at 17.3 per 100,000 ages 15-19
09
Asian youth lowest gun death rate at 1.2 per 100,000, but rising 25% 2019-2022
10
LGBTQ+ youth 4x more likely to die by gun suicide than straight peers
11
70% of youth gun homicide victims are Black males ages 15-24
12
Females represent 17% of youth gun deaths but 30% of suicides
13
Urban Black youth gun homicide rate 40 per 100,000 vs 2 for whites
14
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander youth gun death rate 8.5 per 100,000 in 2021
15
Low-income youth 5x higher gun victimization rate regardless of race
16
45% of Black children live in homes with guns vs 30% white, but disparity in violence
17
Transgender youth gun suicide attempt rate 3x higher with access to firearms
18
Ages 18-24 Black females gun homicide rate 9.1 per 100,000 in 2022
19
Rural white males 10-14 highest unintentional gun death rate
20
Immigrant youth half the gun violence rate of US-born peers
21
25% of youth gun deaths among those with child welfare involvement
22
Gun death disparity: Black youth 10x more likely than Asian youth
23
Boys in foster care 3x gun death rate
24
Southern states Black youth gun death rate 25% above national
25
Gun deaths among US children 18-24 Black males peaked at 142 per 100,000 in 2021
26
Gun death rates for youth increased 41% for males and 83% for females 2019-2021
Interpretation
Demographic Breakdowns Interpretation
Demographic patterns in youth gun violence are stark, with Black youth comprising 62.5% of gun homicide victims in 2021 and Black youth deaths occurring most intensely before age 20, where 60% happen before then, underscoring how race and age shape the demographic breakdown.
02 · Category
Fatal Incidents30 stats
01
In 2021, 2,590 children and adolescents ages 1–17 years died from gunfire in the United States
02
Firearms were the leading cause of death among U.S. children and teens in 2020, killing 2,149 youth under 18
03
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
04
In 2022, guns killed more than 2,500 children and teens under age 18, averaging over 7 deaths per day
05
Black children and teens accounted for 42% of child gun deaths in 2022 despite comprising 14% of the youth population
06
In 2021, 1,262 youth under 18 died by gun suicide, representing 48% of all youth suicides
07
Firearm homicide was the leading cause of death for Black youth ages 1-19 in 2022, at 18.4 per 100,000
08
From 2018-2022, 8,631 youth under 18 were killed in gun homicides
09
In 2023, at least 1,700 children and teens died from gunfire through October
10
Youth gun deaths rose 50% from 2019 to 2022, totaling over 10,000 deaths
11
In 2020, 1,732 Black children and teens were killed by guns
12
Guns killed 4,733 kids and teens under 18 in 2022
13
Firearm-related deaths among youth 1-17 increased 29.5% from 2019 to 2020
14
In 2021, 50% of youth firearm deaths were homicides
15
2,090 children under 18 died from gun assaults in 2021
16
Teen boys ages 15-17 had a gun death rate of 23.5 per 100,000 in 2021
17
From 2015-2019, 7,000 youth died from gun violence
18
In 2022, 613 toddlers and children under 5 died from guns
19
Gun suicides among youth 10-19 rose 53% from 2007-2021
20
1,300 youth died by gun homicide in urban areas in 2021
21
In 2023, youth gun deaths exceeded car crash deaths by 40%
22
Black males ages 15-24 had 102.4 gun homicide deaths per 100,000 in 2021
23
45% of youth gun deaths in 2022 were suicides
24
From 1999-2021, over 40,000 youth under 18 died from gun suicides
25
In 2020, guns caused 20% of all child deaths ages 1-17
26
2,500 youth under 18 killed by guns monthly average in 2022
27
Hispanic youth gun death rate doubled from 2019-2022 to 5.8 per 100,000
28
Rural youth gun death rate 3x higher than urban for suicides in 2021
29
1,500 accidental gun deaths among youth under 18 from 2015-2020
30
In 2021, 15-19 year olds had 14.2 gun homicide deaths per 100,000
Interpretation
Fatal Incidents Interpretation
Fatal incidents show that gunfire deaths among U.S. youth surged dramatically, with gun homicide rates for children ages 1–17 rising 87.1% from 3.2 to 6.0 per 100,000 between 2019 and 2021, and 2,590 children and adolescents ages 1–17 dying from gunfire in 2021.
03 · Category
Nonfatal Injuries28 stats
01
In 2021, over 30,000 youth under 18 were treated in ERs for nonfatal gun assaults
02
Nonfatal firearm injuries among children rose 30% from 2019 to 2020, to 23,000 cases
03
In 2022, 40,000+ youth treated for gun injuries in emergency departments
04
Black youth comprised 64% of nonfatal gun injury patients ages 12-18 in 2021
05
Gun assaults caused 82% of nonfatal firearm injuries to youth in 2020
06
From 2018-2021, pediatric gun injury hospitalizations increased 88%
07
In 2021, 12,000 youth under 18 hospitalized for gun injuries
08
Males accounted for 88% of nonfatal gun injuries among teens 15-19 in 2022
09
Nonfatal gun injury rate for Black males 15-34 was 547.7 per 100,000 in 2020
10
50% increase in youth gun injury ER visits during COVID-19 pandemic 2020
11
In 2023, 1 in 5 youth gun assault victims required ICU admission
12
Youth gunshot wound survival rate dropped to 80% in urban trauma centers 2021
13
25,000 nonfatal unintentional shootings among children 2010-2020
14
Gun injuries cost $2.8 billion annually for youth treatment in 2021
15
70% of nonfatal youth gun injuries occur in homes or residences
16
Teen girls saw 50% rise in nonfatal gun injuries 2019-2021
17
In 2022, 15,000 youth shot in gang-related incidents survived
18
Nonfatal gun suicides attempts hospitalized 6,000 youth in 2021
19
4x higher nonfatal gun injury rate in high-poverty neighborhoods for youth
20
35% of youth gun injury survivors develop PTSD
21
ER visits for youth gun assaults peaked at 150/day in summer 2022
22
Hispanic youth nonfatal gun injury rate tripled 2019-2022
23
10,500 youth treated for self-inflicted gun wounds 2017-2021
24
Gunshot wounds to extremities in 60% of youth nonfatal cases 2021
25
20% of nonfatal youth shootings lead to permanent disability
26
In 2020, 28,000 youth ER visits for gun injuries, mostly assaults
27
White youth 40% more likely to survive nonfatal gun injuries than Black youth
28
Black children under 15 had 25.6 nonfatal gun injury rate per 100,000 in 2021
Interpretation
Nonfatal Injuries Interpretation
For the nonfatal injuries category, emergency care for youth gun assaults climbed sharply with more than 30,000 treated in 2021 and 40,000+ in 2022, alongside a 30% rise in nonfatal firearm injuries for children from 2019 to 2020 reaching 23,000 cases.
More related reading
04 · Category
Risk Factors And Policy Effects25 stats
01
Access to guns in home triples risk of youth homicide
02
Youth with prior arrests 10x more likely to commit gun violence
03
80% of youth gun homicides linked to gangs or disputes
04
Family gun ownership increases youth suicide risk by 3-4x
05
Adverse childhood experiences raise youth gun violence risk 2.5x
06
Safe storage laws reduce youth gun deaths by 8-19%
07
Mental illness present in 25% of youth gun suicides, but not causal
08
Poverty correlates with 4x higher youth gun victimization
09
Background checks reduced youth gun suicides 11% in states with laws
10
Alcohol use doubles risk of youth gun homicide perpetration
11
Community violence exposure increases youth aggression 50%
12
Permit-to-purchase laws cut youth gun homicides 15-20%
13
40% of youth offenders had easy gun access from family/friends
14
Trauma history in 70% of youth gun violence perpetrators
15
Red flag laws prevented 10% potential youth gun suicides in early years
16
School connectedness reduces youth gun carrying by 40%
17
Illegal gun possession by youth triples recidivism risk
18
Domestic violence exposure raises youth perpetration risk 3x
19
Extreme risk protection orders averted 20 youth incidents in 5 states
20
Video game violence not linked, but social media amplifies 25% risks
21
Mentoring programs reduce youth gun violence involvement 35%
22
Gun-free zones near homes cut youth shootings 12%
23
Substance abuse in 50% of youth gun homicide cases
24
Child Access Prevention laws lower unintentional youth shootings 39%
25
Economic opportunity programs decrease gang gun violence 25%
Interpretation
Risk Factors And Policy Effects Interpretation
Within risk factors and policy effects, the data show that changing access and storage can make a measurable difference, with safe storage laws cutting youth gun deaths by 8 to 19 percent while having guns at home triples homicide risk and adverse childhood experiences raise violence risk by 2.5 times.
05 · Category
Temporal And Geographic Trends25 stats
01
From 2010-2020, gun homicides among youth rose 77% in large cities
02
Youth gun violence surged 30% nationwide during 2020 pandemic
03
In 2022, Mississippi had highest youth gun death rate at 12.1 per 100,000
04
Gun homicides among Black youth tripled in Midwest cities 2015-2022
05
Summer months see 40% spike in youth gun violence incidents
06
From 2019-2022, youth gun deaths up 60% in South, 50% nationwide
07
DC had 25.3 youth gun death rate per 100,000 in 2022, highest urban
08
Post-2020, teen gun homicides rose 120% in 200+ cities
09
Rural areas saw 25% rise in youth gun suicides 2019-2021
10
Louisiana youth gun death rate 11.4 per 100,000, 3x national average 2022
11
Weekends account for 35% of youth gun homicides annually
12
From 1990-2020, youth gun violence declined 70% then rebounded 50%
13
Chicago saw 500+ youth gun deaths 2020-2023
14
Gun suicides among youth doubled in Western states 2007-2021
15
Alabama ranked 2nd for youth gun mortality at 10.8 per 100,000 2022
16
Nighttime hours (6pm-6am) 60% of youth gun incidents
17
Post-school shooting, local youth gun violence drops 20% temporarily
18
Missouri youth gun death rate up 80% 2019-2022
19
Northeast saw smallest youth gun death increase at 20% 2019-2022
20
Philadelphia youth shootings up 50% summer 2023 vs prior
21
Gun violence hotspots shifted 30% in cities post-pandemic
22
Winter months 25% fewer youth gun assaults than summer
23
Tennessee youth gun deaths rose 70% 2018-2022
24
Border states saw 40% youth gun trafficking increase 2019-2023
25
Youth gun violence declined 15% in states with permit laws post-2020
Interpretation
Temporal And Geographic Trends Interpretation
Across temporal and geographic lines, youth gun violence accelerated sharply from 2019 to 2022 with deaths rising 60% in the South and 50% nationwide, alongside a 30% surge during the 2020 pandemic and a 40% summer spike.
report visual · Key figures
Youth gun violence has risen sharply in recent years
Youth gun deaths and gun homicide rates increased markedly between 2019 and 2022/2021, highlighting worsening trends for children and teens.
87.1%
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
50%
Youth gun deaths rose 50% from 2019 to 2022, totaling over 10,000 deaths
30%
Youth gun violence surged 30% nationwide during 2020 pandemic
2015
Gun homicides among Black youth tripled in Midwest cities 2015-2022
77%
From 2010-2020, gun homicides among youth rose 77% in large cities
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). Youth Gun Violence Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/youth-gun-violence-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "Youth Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/youth-gun-violence-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "Youth Gun Violence Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/youth-gun-violence-statistics.
Sources & references
49 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level