The rate of gun deaths among U.S. children and teens increased by 50% over the span of two years.
Here’s what we know.
What happened? A Pew Research Center analysis of mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed the number of children and teens below the age of 18 who were killed by gun violence between 2019 and 2021 rose from 1,732 to 2,590.
The analysis reported that, “homicides accounted for most of those deaths, and Black children and teens were roughly five times as likely as their White counterparts to die from gunfire in 2021. Meanwhile, nearly half of U.S. parents worry about their children getting shot.”
For teens, suicide accounted for a significant share of gun deaths, at 36%, according to Pew.
The CDC reported that the total number of teens and children who died from gun violence was “higher than at any point since at least 1999.”
Details: The CDC reported that the most recent year with data on children and teens who sustained “nonfatal gun-related injuries” was 2020, where “there were more than 11,000 emergency-room visits for gunshot injuries among children and teens under the age of 18.”
Pew Research Center further reported that children and teens are more likely to die from gun violence than any other group.
Reactions: In response to rising gun deaths, those on the political left have asked for stricter gun laws, while those on the right point to the need for better policing and access to mental health care.
In the Deseret News, Jason Rantz said cities are ignoring violent crime and are not doing enough to apply the laws already in place to stop violence.
Meanwhile, those on the left, including President Joe Biden, have said they want additional restrictions on buying and selling guns. Biden recently directed executive agencies to work to expand background checks, and to address gun theft.