Gun Violence Statistics and Studies

GUN VIOLENCE IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

Overview

• African Americans compose roughly 12% of the US population, according to the US Census, but account for 26% of all gun-related deaths in this country.
• Every year in the United States, we lose the lives of 7,865 African-Americans to gun violence.
• On average, that's 21 African-Americans every day.  

Homicide

• In 2005, 6,600 African-Americans were killed in a firearm homicide.
• 91% of all African American firearm-related homicide deaths are males.
• Unlike the national trend of suicide accounting for the majority of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. (55%), homicide accounts for the majority (84%) of all gun-related African American deaths.

Suicide

• In 2005, 997 African-Americans took their lives with a gun.
• Suicides account for 13% of all African American gun deaths and of those deaths, 90% are males.
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15-24, with firearms accounting for 57% of the completed suicides for this age category.

Leading Cause of Death (LCD)

• In the US, the leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15- 24 and 25-34 is homicide, with the overwhelming majority (90% and 87%, respectively) committed with firearms.
• Homicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for African Americans ages 10-14, with firearm-related deaths accounting for 70% of these deaths.
• Homicide is the 3rd LCD for African Americans ages 5-9 with firearms accounting for 34% of all homicides for this age group.

To see a breakdown of African-American deaths by age group and intent and by gender, click here.

Source: Compiled by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 03-28-2008, with data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (2005, most recent year available), www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars