Guns leading cause of death for children, teens: Johns Hopkins study

( NewsNation ) — A new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions shows firearms were the leading cause of death in 2022 for children and teens ages 1 to 17.

According to the report, 48,204 people were killed by a firearm that year, the second-highest number ever recorded and an average of 132 per day. The study found 2,526 of those who died were children and teenagers, an average of seven each day, and firearms accounted for 30% of all deaths among those ages 15 to 17. Overall, the gun death rate for children and teens has increased 106% since 2013.

The study also highlighted racial disparities in the impact of gun violence. Black children and teens were found to have a homicide death rate 18 times greater than white peers, while the overall firearm death rate, taking into account both homicide and suicide, among Hispanic/Latino youth was more than three times higher than whites.

Meanwhile, by state, the three highest gun death rates for youth were found in Mississippi, Louisiana and Montana, while the three lowest rates were in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut.

In light of these sobering numbers, Johns Hopkins researchers advise a comprehensive public health approach to reduce the gun violence epidemic, including laws that promote safer firearm storage, require background checks for those buying firearms from a private seller, removing firearms from individuals at risk for suicide or violence against others and greater regulation of the carrying of guns in public.

The full report is online. Data utilized in the report comes from the Centers for Disease Control’s Underlying Cause of Death database.

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