gun_death

Firearm Related Deaths Among Children

15 crosses memorializing the 13 students and 2 teachers shot to death at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. This is only slightly greater than the 11.5 children on average killed by firearms each DAY in the United States.

The following table was pulled from the National Rifle Association Internet site. They use it to counter the claim made by gun control advocates that 13 children die every day from gun violence. If you exclude 20 year-olds, the rate is actually 11.5 firearm deaths per day. 7.0 of these are murders. Whatever the case, most civilized countries would consider this unacceptable. Note that 1.7 children 14 and under die from gun violence every day.

Firearm Related Deaths Among Children:
Classification of firearm-related fatality	children (ages 0-14)	Fatalities among juveniles & young adults (ages 15-19)	all persons ages 0-19
Assault	346	2,216	2,562
Suicide	127	1,135	1,262
Accident	142	164	306
Unexplained	14	61	75
Total	629	3,576	4,205
Average number per day	1.7	9.8	11.5

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, 1997, the most recent year of complete data available.

[See http://www.nraila.org for this table and the accompanying article.]

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,

The United States has the highest youth homicide and suicide rates of the 26 wealthiest nations.

Homicide and suicide are the second and third leading causes of death of teen-agers

Homicide and suicide are the leading cause of death among black youngsters.

[Source: American Academy of Pediatrics.]

See related Articles:

Pediatricians Urged to Counsel Patients on Firearms, Anger Management

News Article: 6-year-old girl shot to death by 7-year-old classmate in Michigan