Guns continue to be the leading cause of death for US children and teens since surpassing car accidents in 2020.
Firearms accounted for 18% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2022, the most recent data available from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database. About 3,500 children died in gun-related incidents that year. That’s about five children lost for every 100,000 children in the United States. In no other comparable country are firearms within the top four causes of mortality among children, according to a KFF analysis.
The shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, on Wednesday marks the 45th school shooting in 2024. Two students and two teachers were killed. It’s the deadliest school shooting since the March 2023 massacre at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.