Firearm Violence Prevention

A firearm injury is a gunshot wound or penetrating injury from a weapon that uses a powder charge to fire a projectile. For example, this definition includes gunshot injuries from:

• handguns
• rifles
• shotguns

Injuries from air- and gas-powered guns, BB, and pellet guns are not considered firearm injuries as these types of guns do not use a powder charge to fire a projectile.

There are many types of firearm injuries, which can be fatal or nonfatal:

• Intentionally self-inflicted
  • Includes firearm suicide or nonfatal self-harm injury from a firearm
• Unintentional
  • Includes fatal or nonfatal firearm injuries that happen while cleaning or playing with a firearm or other incidents of an accidental firing without evidence of intentional harm
• Interpersonal violence
  • Includes firearm homicide or nonfatal assault injury from a firearm
• Legal intervention
  • Includes firearm injuries inflicted by the police or other law enforcement agents acting in the line of duty
    • For example, firearm injuries that occur while arresting or attempting to arrest someone, maintaining order, or ensuring safety
  • The term legal intervention is a commonly used external cause of injury classification and does not indicate the legality of the circumstances surrounding the death.
• Undetermined intent
  • Includes firearm injuries where there is not enough information to determine whether the injury was intentionally self-inflicted, unintentional, a legal intervention firearm death, or from an act of interpersonal violence.

Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem. In 2018, there were 39,740 firearm-related deaths in the United States – that’s about 109 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day. Six out of every 10 deaths were firearm suicides and more than 3 out of every 10 were firearm homicides.

More people suffer nonfatal firearm-related injuries than die. Seven out of every 10 medically treated firearm injuries are from firearm-related assaults, and 2 out of every 10 are unintentional firearm injuries. There are few intentionally self-inflicted firearm-related injuries seen in hospital emergency departments. Most people who use a firearm in a suicide attempt, die from their injury.

Firearm injuries affect people in all stages of life. Firearm-related injuries are among the 5 leading causes of death for people ages 1-64 in the United States.

Some groups have higher rates of firearm injury than others. Males account for 85% of all victims of firearm death and 88% of nonfatal firearm injuries. Rates of firearm violence also vary by age and race/ethnicity. Firearm homicide rates are highest among teens and young adults 15-34 years of age, and among Black, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and Hispanic populations. Firearm suicide rates are highest among adults 75 years of age and older and among American Indian/Alaskan Native and non-Hispanic white populations.

Although definitions of defensive gun use vary, it is generally defined as the use of a firearm to protect and defend one’s self, family, others, and/or property against crime or victimization.

Estimates of defensive gun use vary depending on the questions asked, populations studied, timeframe, and other factors related to the design of studies. The report Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violenceexternal icon indicates a range of 60,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses each year.

People who survive a firearm-related injury may experience long-term consequences. These include problems with memory, thinking, emotions, and physical disability from injury to the brain; paralysis from injury to the spinal cord; and chronic mental health problems from conditions such as post-traumatic-stress disorder.

The effects of firearm violence extend beyond victims and their families. Mass shooting incidents, including those in schools, houses of worship, workplaces, shopping areas, and community events as well as other firearm homicides and assaults can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions.

The economic impact of firearm violence is also substantial. Firearm violence costs the United States tens of billions of dollars each year in medical and lost productivity costs alone.

CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) has been the nation’s leading public health authority on violence and injury prevention for nearly 30 years. Firearm violence has tremendous impact on the overall safety and wellbeing of Americans. Using a public health approach is essential to addressing firearm violence and keeping people safe and healthy.

CDC’s approach to preventing firearm injuries focuses on three elements: providing data to inform action; conducting research and applying science to identify effective solutions; and promoting collaboration across multiple sectors to address the problem.