Statistics

Statistics to help you identify the problem, and help draft your goal:

We understand that personal stories resound more in this conversation than numbers alone. However, statistics can serve as a foundational base for conversations to find common ground. Our steering committee has reviewed the following statistics and their sources to assure this information is accurate, current and peer-reviewed.

Use these statistics to help support your story and open a dialogue.

To find information local information on statistics near you – click here.

Firearm injury vs death rates in the United States

Death: 36,383 average deaths per year¹
- 22,274 – Suicide
- 12,830 – Homicide
- 487 – Unintentional death
- 496 – Law enforcement
- 295 – Undetermined
Injury: 100,120 average injuries per year²
- Assault – 76,258
- Unintentional 18,362
- Self-harm – 4,149
- Law enforcement – 1,350
Disclaimer: Law enforcement numbers include both community members and police officers involved in firearm related incidents.
1. Fatal Injury Data | WISQARS | Injury Center | CDC. (2017, June 22). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal.html
2. NonFatal Data | WISQARS | Injury Center | CDC. (2019, January 18). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/nonfatal.html
An estimated 2/3^rds of gun deaths are suicides¹ and 1/3 are homicides²
1. Grinshteyn E, Hemenway D. Violent death rates in the US compared to those of the other high-income countries, 2015. Preventive Medicine.2019; 123: 20-26.
2. Fatal Injury Data | WISQARS | Injury Center | CDC. (2017, June 22). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/fatal.html
Most adolescent suicides take place in the home with the parent’s gun.

American Academy of Pediatrics position on firearms: The absence of guns in homes and communities is the most reliable and effective measure to prevent firearm related injuries in children and adolescents.
1. Johnson, R. M., Barber, C., Azrael, D., Clark, D. E., & Hemenway, D. (2010). Who are the Owners of Firearms Used in Adolescent Suicides? Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 40(6), 609–611. doi: 10.1521/suli.2010.40.6.609
  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1521/suli.2010.40.6.609
2. 2018 State Advocacy Report – aap.org. (2018, December). Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/state-advocacy/Documents/2018StateAdvocacyReport.pdf
  https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/state-advocacy/Documents/Universal%20Background%20Checks.pdf
States with higher gun ownership rates also have higher rates of domestic homicide, but not non-domestic homicides.¹

And states that prohibit firearm possession from people with a restraining order against them from a partner have lower rates of homicide than states that do not have these restrictions.²
1. Kivisto A.J., Magee L.A., Phalen P.L., Ray B.R. (2019) Firearm Ownership and Domestic Versus Nondomestic Homicide in the U.S. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 57 (3) , pp. 311-320. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379719301977
2. Díez, C., Kurland, R. P., Rothman, E. F., Bair-Merritt, M., Fleegler, E., Xuan, Z., … Siegel, M. (2017, October 17). State Intimate Partner Violence–Related Firearm Laws and Intimate Partner Homicide Rates in the United States, 1991 to 2015. Retrieved from https://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2654047/state-intimate-partner-violence-related-firearm-laws-intimate-partner-homicide
Although mass shootings attract the majority of media attention, they only account for less than 1% of gun-related deaths.
1. School Shootings. (2019, October 11). Retrieved from https://injury.research.chop.edu/violence-prevention-initiative/types-violence-involving-youth/school-shootings#.XxIQl5NKgb0
State-level firearm legislation was significantly associated with lower rates of fatal police shootings. Laws aimed at strengthening background checks, promoting safe storage, and reducing gun trafficking were associated with fewer fatal police shootings.
1. Kivisto, A. J., Ray, B., & Phalen, P. L. (2017, July). Firearm Legislation and Fatal Police Shootings in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5463213/
The U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that 31% of accidental deaths caused by firearms might be prevented by adding two safety devices, a child-proof safety lock and a loading indicator.
1. Gun Violence: Facts and Statistics. (2019, October 11). Retrieved from https://injury.research.chop.edu/violence-prevention-initiative/types-violence-involving-youth/gun-violence/gun-violence-facts-and#.XhPDAhdKhD0

Firearm injury vs death rates in the United States

An estimated 2/3^rds of gun deaths are suicides¹ and 1/3 are homicides²

Most adolescent suicides take place in the home with the parent’s gun.

States with higher gun ownership rates also have higher rates of domestic homicide, but not non-domestic homicides.¹

And states that prohibit firearm possession from people with a restraining order against them from a partner have lower rates of homicide than states that do not have these restrictions.²

Although mass shootings attract the majority of media attention, they only account for less than 1% of gun-related deaths.

State-level firearm legislation was significantly associated with lower rates of fatal police shootings. Laws aimed at strengthening background checks, promoting safe storage, and reducing gun trafficking were associated with fewer fatal police shootings.

The U.S. General Accounting Office estimates that 31% of accidental deaths caused by firearms might be prevented by adding two safety devices, a child-proof safety lock and a loading indicator.

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