Firearm-related deaths are the third leading cause of death overall among US children aged 1 to 17 years, surpassing the number of deaths from pediatric congenital anomalies, heart disease, influenza and/or pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory disease, and cerebrovascular causes.2 They are the second leading cause of injury-related death in this age group, surpassed only by motor vehicle injury deaths.2
Previous studies of firearm injuries among children have examined selected outcomes (eg, deaths, hospitalizations, or emergency department [ED] visits for nonfatal firearm injuries)3–7 or certain types of firearm injuries (eg, homicides and assaults, unintentional firearm injuries).8–10 This article provides the most comprehensive examination of current firearm-related deaths and injuries among children in the United States to date. It examines overall patterns of firearm-related death and injury, patterns by type of firearm injury (interpersonal, self-directed, and unintentional), trends over time, state-level patterns, and circumstances surrounding these deaths. The findings underscore the need for scientifically sound solutions to address this important public health problem.