Most firearm deaths among young people are from homicides, while most of those among older people are from suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
11.8 per 100,000
Number of firearm-related deaths per year in the United States from 2016 to 2018, compared with 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people from 1999 to 2014, and 11.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015.
85%
Percentage of deaths from firearms in 2018 that were among men. Specifically, 83.8% of those dying from firearm homicides were men, and 86.4% of those dying from firearm suicides were men.
10.19 per 100,000
Number of firearm deaths in 2018 among young people ages 14–18. Firearms are the leading cause of death in this age group, a rate more than 25% higher than deaths from motor vehicle accidents.
91.2%
Percentage of firearm deaths in 2018 from suicide among people ages 66 and older. Among young people ages 15–24, 56.6% of firearm deaths were homicides.
Source: Goldstick, J. E., et al. (2020). Current epidemiological trends in firearm mortality in the United States. JAMA Psychiatry. Available at doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.2986opens in new window
