Title: Firearms in U.S. Homes as a Risk Factor for Unintentional Gunshot Fatality

Publication Date: September 2003

What does it say?

Adults who died from an unintentional gunshot wound were compared with living adults matched to them by sex, race, region of residence, and age group.  Both groups were assessed for living in a home with a gun.   The risk of dying by accidental gunshot was almost 4 times higher (3.7) for adults living in homes with guns than for those living in gun-free households.  Homes with multiple guns raised the risk even more (3.9), as did the presence of handguns.

In addition to its main findings, the study provides a useful summary of past research on activities that lead to unintentional gunshot deaths, e. g. discharge during cleaning, loading or unloading, during hunting when triggers catch on an object, when loaded guns are mistaken for being unloaded, etc.

How can I use it?

Use this study to educate gun-owning families that they are at increased risk of death by accidental gunshot wound.  The findings can also be used to advocate for measures to improve the design of guns to make them safer, such as magazine disconnect safeties.

Citation

Wiebe, DJ, "Firearms in U.S. Homes as a Risk Factor for Unintentional Gunshot Fatality," Accident Analysis and Prevention 35(2003)711-716

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