DID YOU KNOW? African-Americans have the highest rates of firearm death (including homicides, suicides and unintentional shooting deaths) among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

• In 2007, the firearm death rate for African-Americans was 21.5 firearm deaths per 100,000 population. The second and third highest firearm death rates were among Whites (9.4), and American-Indian/Alaska Natives (9.0) (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)).
  
  
• African-American children and teens are almost five times as likely as their white peers to be killed by firearms (11.30 per 100,000 African-American youth vs. 2.31 per 100,000 white youth) (NCIPC)).
  
  
• African-American males ages 15 to 19 are almost 5 times as likely as their white peers and more than twice as likely as their Hispanic or American-Indian/Alaska Native peers to be killed by firearms (Children's Defense Fund, p. 16, 2009).
  
  
• In 2008, in addition to fatalities, 30,984 African-Americans were treated for firearm injuries in emergency rooms, followed with 19,338 Whites, and 16,903 Hispanics (other categories not detailed; rates not available) (NCIPC).

DID YOU KNOW? Gun homicides are responsible for most firearm deaths among African-American and Hispanic-Americans, whereas gun suicides account for most firearm deaths among Whites and American-Indian/Alaska Natives.

• In 2007, 84 percent of African-American gun deaths were from homicide (NCIPC).
  
  
• In 2007, 68 percent of Hispanic-American gun deaths were from homicide (NCIPC).
  
  
• In 2007, African-Americans represented 13 percent of the population yet accounted for 49 percent of all homicide victims (Langley, 2010).
  
  
• In 2007, 82 percent of African-American homicide victims were killed with guns (Langley, 2010).
  
  
• From 1999 to 2005, while the national homicide rate was stable, the firearm homicide rate for African-American men ages 25-44 increased by a third in large cities and suburbs (Guoquing, 2008).
  
  
• In 2007, 80 percent of gun deaths among Whites were from suicide (NCIPC).
  
  
• In 2007, 56 percent of American-Indian/Alaska Native firearm deaths were from suicide (NCIPC).
  
  
• For all ages, the most urban counties have 1.03 times the adjusted firearm death rate of the most rural counties (Branas, p. 1750). This means that, relative to their populations, the most rural and the most urban counties have roughly the same number of gun deaths. Rural counties have more gun suicides; urban areas have more gun homicides.

DID YOU KNOW? Rates of unintentional shooting deaths are low among all race and ethnic groups, but the number of nonfatal shootings is substantial.

• In 2007, the rate of unintentional shooting death was low in the U.S. for all race and ethnic groups (range 0.1 to 0.4) (NCIPC).
  
  
• In 2008, 8,377 Whites were treated in emergency rooms for nonfatal gun injuries, followed by 3,921 African-Americans and 2,814 Hispanic-Americans (other categories not detailed; rates not available) (NCIPC).

SOLUTION: Without stronger, sensible gun laws, thousands upon thousands of people will continue to die and be injured needlessly each year. The Brady Campaign fights for sensible gun laws to protect you, your family, and your community.

Sources

Branas, Charles, C., PhD, Michael L. Nance, MD, Michael R. Elliott, PhD, Therese S. Richmond, PhD and C. William Schwab, MD, Urban Rural Shifts in Intentional Firearm Death: Different Causes, Same Results, American Journal of Public Health 94(10) (October 2004):1750-1755

Children's Defense Fund, Protect Children Not Guns 2009, September 2009

Guoquing Hu, Daniel Webster, and Susan P. Baker, "Hidden Homicide Increases in the USA, 1999-2005," Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 2008.

Langley, Marty, Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data, Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, January 2010

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2007 (deaths) and 2008 (injuries)), www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/. Calculations by Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2009