DID YOU KNOW?  Children in the U. S. are at much higher risk of gun death than children in other high income countries. 

• U. S. children ages 5 to 14 are killed with guns at a rate 11 times higher than the combined rates of 22 other populous, high income countries (Richardson, p. 1).


• In 2007, 3,067 children and teens ages 0-19 were killed by firearms in the U.S. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)).


• In 2008, 20,702 children and teens ages 0-19 were injured with a gun in the U.S. (NCIPC).


• In 2007, every day, an average of 8 young people ages 0-19 were killed by a firearm in the United States (NCIPC).


• In 2008, every day, an average of 57 children and teens were non-fatally wounded (NCIPC).


• Twenty-two percent of U.S. teenagers (ages 14 to 17) report having witnessed a shooting (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, p. 6).


• 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 kids vs. 2.31 per 100,000 white kids) (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)).  

• From 1979 to 2007, the annual number of firearm deaths of black children and teens increased by 61 percent, while the annual number of firearm deaths of white children decreased 54 percent (Childrens Defense Fund, p. 8). 

• Youth (ages 0 to 19) in the most rural counties of the country are as likely to die from a gunshot as those living in the most urban counties.  Rural kids have more gun suicides and unintentional shooting deaths, while urban kids die more often of gun homicides (Nance, 2010).
  
  
• In 2007, more preschoolers (under age 5) died by gunfire (85) than law enforcement officers (57) killed in the line of duty (Childrens Defense Fund, p. 2).
  

DID YOU KNOW? Firearm homicide is the second-leading cause of death (after motor vehicle crashes) for young people ages 1-19 in the U.S. (NCIPC)

• In 2007, 2,161 children and teenagers ages 0-19 were murdered with guns (NCIPC)


• In 2008, 16,187 children and teenagers ages 0-19 were injured in an assault with a firearm (NCIPC).


• 82% of murder victims ages 12 to 24 years old are killed with a firearm (Puzzancherra, 2009).


• Community violence, including gun violence, has the equivalent emotional impact on children as war or natural disaster (Fowler, p. 227).

DID YOU KNOW? Most youth gun suicide victims use a firearm belonging to a family member.

• 82 percent of youth firearm suicide victims used a firearm belonging to a family member, usually a parent (Harvard School of Public Health, 2002).


• In 2007, 683 children and teens ages 0-19 committed suicide with guns (NCIPC).


• In 2008, 411 children and teens ages 0-19 were injured in a suicide attempt with a gun (NCIPC).

• In 2007, 138 children and teens ages 0-19 died in unintentional shootings (NCIPC).


• In 2008, 3,997 children and teens ages 0-19 were injured with a gun unintentionally (NCIPC).

DID YOU KNOW? Shootings at schools and universities rarely occur but are devastating to families and communities.

• The proportion of homicides among school-age children that are school associated is very small, comprising only 0.96% or 79 of 8,236 total homicides (CDC, 2008, based on data from July 1999 to June 2004).


• During July 1999-June 2006, a total of 116 school-associated homicides occurred among students, an average annual homicide rate of 0.03 per 100,000 students (CDC, 2008). 


• A study of attacks that specifically targeted schools found that over two-thirds of the attackers acquired the gun (or guns) used in their attacks from their own home or that of a relative (68 percent, n=28) (U.S. Secret Service, 2002).


• Between 9 and 17 percent of students in grades 9-12 state that it is possible to get a gun without adult supervision, at or away from school (U.S. Department of Justice, 2005).


• Click here to read media reports of school shootings compiled by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

SOLUTION: Without stronger, sensible gun laws, thousands upon thousands of people will continue to die and be injured needlessly each year. We make it too easy for dangerous people to obtain dangerous weapons. We should make it harder for convicted felons, the dangerously mentally ill, domestic violence offenders and youth to get the guns in the first place.  We can do this by passing strong, effective laws and stopping laws and policies that would allow guns on campuses.

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