Gun crisis in America: Youth fatalities on the rise

In the United States, kids now practice active shooter drills the way previous generations practiced fire drills.
Backpacks come with “bullet-resistant” options, and parents drop their children at school with a knot in their
stomachs that has nothing to do with math tests. It’s not just a feeling: firearms have become one of the leading
causes of death for American children and teens, outpacing car crashes in many data sets.

This is the gun crisis in Americaan emergency that hits young people hardest. Youth fatalities from guns are rising,
and behind every statistic is a classroom seat that stays empty, a sports team missing a player, a family that never
quite feels whole again. In this article, we’ll look at what the numbers actually say, why this surge is happening,
how it affects an entire generation, and what research suggests might help turn the trend around.

The hard numbers behind America’s youth gun crisis

Firearms have overtaken car crashes for young people

For decades, car crashes were the tragic but undisputed top cause of accidental death among American youth. Safety
features, seat belt laws, and public health campaigns drove those numbers down. But in recent years, something
chilling happened: firearms moved to the top of the list for many age ranges.

Analyses of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that, by 2020, firearms had become the leading
cause of death for U.S. children and adolescents in aggregatesurpassing motor vehicle crashes.
A 2024 report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions found that, for at least three consecutive years,
guns killed more U.S. kids ages 1–17 than any other cause.

Everytown for Gun Safety’s analysis of CDC data similarly concludes that firearms are now the leading cause of death
for children and teens ages 1–19, with thousands of youth gun deaths every year.

A sharp rise in youth gun deaths in just a few years

The crisis isn’t just that guns are at the top of the listit’s how quickly they got there. A Pew Research Center
analysis found that the number of U.S. children and teens killed by gunfire rose about 50% between 2019 and 2021 alone.
That kind of jump in mortality over such a short window is extremely unusual in public health.

Looking more broadly, CDC data show more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the U.S. in 2022roughly 132 people
every single day. A significant portion of those deaths involve young people, and many more youth
survive being shot but live with lifelong physical and psychological scars.

Homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings

When children and teens die from gunfire, homicide is the most common cause. Everytown’s analysis of recent CDC data
estimates that about 65% of youth gun deaths are homicides, amounting to more than 2,800 deaths per year, with many cases
linked to community violence or domestic violence.

Suicide is the second major driver. Studies of firearm mortality among youth 0–24 years old show that guns are a leading
mechanism of both suicide and homicide in this group. When a firearm is present during
a moment of crisis, an impulsive decision can become irreversible in seconds.

Unintentional shootings make up a smallerbut still devastatingslice of the pie. A CDC analysis of unintentional
firearm deaths among children notes that unsecured guns (unlocked, loaded, and accessible) dramatically increase risk
of accidental shootings. These incidents often involve curious toddlers, siblings, or friends, and
they’re particularly haunting because they are so clearly preventable.

Why youth gun fatalities are rising

More guns and easier access

One straightforward factor: there are simply more guns in circulation. The U.S. already stands out globally for its
firearm ownership and gun death rates. Research comparing the U.S. to other high-income countries finds that no other
similar nation has firearms in the top four causes of death for children and teenslet alone as number one.

Studies consistently show that when youth have easier access to firearmswhether through guns in the home or weak
storage practicesrates of firearm suicide, homicide, and unintentional shootings all rise.
Think of it this way: if your house is full of candy, kids will eat more candy; if your house is full of unsecured guns,
the risks go up in a far more dangerous way.

Community violence and racial inequities

The gun crisis doesn’t hit every child equally. Data from the CDC and independent researchers show that Black children
and teens face dramatically higher rates of firearm homicide than their White peers.
In some communities, gunfire is part of the soundscape of childhoodanother siren, another memorial, another name
on a T-shirt.

Factors like concentrated poverty, housing segregation, underfunded schools, limited economic opportunity, and
systemic racism all intersect with the availability of guns. The result: children of color, especially Black boys,
are disproportionately likely to be killed or injured by firearms.

Mental health struggles and suicide risk

The teen years have never been emotionally simple, but today’s adolescents are navigating a landscape shaped by
social media, cyberbullying, academic pressure, and a constant stream of distressing newsincluding reports of
school shootings and community violence.

Mental health experts have documented increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts among youth.
When firearms are readily available, those mental health crises are far more likely to end in death rather than a
survivable attempt.

Beyond headlines: How gun violence shapes everyday childhood

When people hear “gun crisis,” many immediately picture mass shootingsthe horrific, headline-grabbing events that
shake communities and dominate TV coverage. Those events matter deeply, but they represent only a small fraction of
overall youth gun deaths.

Most children affected by gun violence experience it in quieter, less televised ways: a shooting on their block, a
cousin killed in a robbery, a classmate lost to suicide, the constant hum of fear at after-school events.
The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that children exposed to gun violenceeven if they are not physically injuredface
heightened risks of anxiety, depression, sleep problems, academic struggles, and post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Then there are the drills. Many schools conduct regular active shooter drills that train kids and teachers to lock
doors, hide, and stay silent. While schools aim to keep students safe, these exercises can be frightening, especially
for younger children, and contribute to a sense that violence could erupt at any moment.

No eight-year-old should be mentally ranking hiding spots in the classroom instead of ranking their favorite dinosaurs.
Yet for many, that’s just part of growing up in America.

A generation growing up with gun violence

The impact of youth gun fatalities extends far beyond the families directly affected. Entire peer groups, schools, and
neighborhoods carry the weight of these losses.

Research on traumatic loss and community violence shows that repeated exposure to shootings and deaths can:

• Increase risk for depression, anxiety, and PTSD-like symptoms
• Disrupt sleep, concentration, and school performance
• Change how young people see the worldless safe, less predictable, less hopeful
• Shape attitudes toward conflict, trust, and even future parenting

Some young people turn their grief into activism, organizing marches, walkouts, and voter registration drives. Others
withdraw, feeling that adults aren’t listening or that nothing will change. Polling from Pew Research Center shows that
nearly half of Americans view gun violence as a “major problem,” though views vary sharply by party and community.
For many teens, the divide is confusing: how can something that defines their daily sense of safety be seen by some adults
as only a “moderate” problem?

What research suggests can help

Safe storage and child access prevention

One of the most consistently recommended strategies from medical and public health groups is simple on paper: keep guns
stored unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that the absence of
guns in children’s environments is the safest option, but when firearms are present, secure storage is critical.

Studies show that laws specifically designed to prevent child access to firearmssometimes called Child Access Prevention
(CAP) or secure storage lawsare associated with lower rates of unintentional shootings and youth suicides.
In other words, a sturdy lock box and a bit of inconvenience can literally save lives.

Treating gun violence as a public health issue

Major medical organizations, including pediatric groups and trauma surgeons, increasingly frame gun violence as a public
health crisis rather than a purely criminal justice issue. That means using the same tools that helped reduce car crash
deaths and smoking-related illnesses: data collection, research, engineering solutions, education, and evidence-based policy.

Recent CDC-funded research is exploring how to better prevent firearm injuries among children and teens, from community
programs to clinical interventions in hospitals and pediatric offices.
Think counseling about secure storage in the pediatrician’s office, or hospital-based violence intervention programs that
connect injured youth with mentors and social support to break cycles of retaliation.

Community-based interventions

In neighborhoods with high rates of shootings, community-driven strategieslike street outreach workers, conflict
interruption programs, and youth employment initiativeshave shown promise in reducing violence. While results can vary,
these programs share a core idea: people closest to the problem are often closest to the solution.

When teens have safe spaces to gather, trusted adults to turn to, and realistic paths to a stable future, the appeal of
picking up a gunor the odds of being in harm’s waycan shrink.

Listening to youth: they’re telling us what they need

One thing is clear from student-led marches, campus walkouts, and youth-led organizations: young people aren’t shy about
saying they’re scared and tired of living like this. They want adults to treat the gun crisis like the emergency it is,
to prioritize their safety over political stalemates, and to back up “thoughts and prayers” with tangible action.

For some, that means pushing for specific legislation; for others, it’s about culture change, safer storage, better mental
health support, and investment in communities. Regardless of the strategy, the message is the same: childhood shouldn’t
feel like a battlefield.

Real-life experiences: how the crisis shows up day to day

Statistics tell us the scale of the gun crisis in America, but stories show us its weight. The following experiences are
based on real patterns described in research, news reports, and interviews, combined into composite snapshots to protect
privacy while capturing the emotional reality young people and families face.

In the classroom

Imagine a high school sophomore, Alex, sitting in algebra. The teacher is explaining quadratic equations, but Alex is
watching the classroom door. During last period, the school had a “lockdown drill.” The lights went off, the door
locked, and thirty students squeezed into the corner behind a bookshelf. Someone nervously laughed; someone else started
to cry. When the drill ended, everyone went back to normalexcept it doesn’t feel normal to Alex.

That night, Alex’s parent finds a backpack packed with snacks, a phone charger, and a flashlight. When asked why,
Alex shrugs: “Just in case something happens.” Threat assessments and drills may be intended to save lives, but they
also shape how kids understand safety. For many, the unspoken lesson is: “You’re on your own if things go wrong, so
prepare for the worst.”

At home

In another town, Maya is 13 and loves video games and drawing. One afternoon, she and her younger brother discover
a handgun in the nightstand drawer while looking for an extra phone charger. It’s loaded. No lock, no safe, just
metal under a pile of receipts. Maya knows enough from health class to realize how dangerous this isand how easily
a bored friend or curious cousin could pull the trigger.

She tells her parent, who initially brushes it off: “It’s fine, I’ve had that gun for years.” After a tense argument,
they reluctantly agree to buy a gun safe. The conversation is awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s also a turning point.
Experiences like Maya’s echo what research shows: kids often know where guns are stored, even when adults think they don’t,
and unsecured weapons are a major factor in accidental shootings and suicides.

In communities living with daily gunfire

In a city neighborhood, gunshots are common enough that most families can tell the difference between fireworks and a
handgun. Jalen, age 16, has lost two friends to gun violence in the past year. One was killed walking home from a
convenience store; another was shot in a dispute that started on social media.

Jalen knows how to hit the ground when he hears shots. He knows which streets to avoid at certain hours. What he doesn’t
know is how to explain to his younger sister why their cousin isn’t at birthday parties anymore. The grief lingers in
family photos where someone is missing, holiday dinners where one chair stays empty, and in the way everyone’s eyes
flick to the window when sirens wail.

Researchers who study community violence have repeatedly found that repeated exposure to shootings and losses like Jalen’s
is associated with higher rates of trauma symptoms, sleep problems, and depression among youth, even when they’re not
the direct victims of a shooting.

For parents and caregivers

Parents are part of this story too. Many describe a strange mix of routine and fear: packing lunches, signing permission
slips, and then scanning headlines about the latest school shooting. Some quietly memorize exit routes at the movie
theater or mall. Others are unsure how to ask other parents about guns in the home without sounding accusatory, even
though pediatricians strongly recommend exactly that conversation during playdate planning.

There are also parents who own guns and are trying to balance their reasons for ownership with a growing awareness of
the risks to their children. Many have never been counseled about safe storage practices by a doctor, even though brief
conversations in clinical settings have been shown to change behavior. The result is a patchwork of safety practices
that varies wildly from household to household.

Why these experiences matter

Put together, these kinds of experiences show that the gun crisis is not just about rare mass tragedies or abstract
political debates. It’s about how safe a teen feels walking to the bus stop, how often a parent wakes up at night to
check the front door, how many kids sit in classrooms and silently wonder, “What would I do if someone came in with a gun?”

Youth fatalities are the most heartbreaking outcome of this crisis, but they are only the visible tip of a much larger
iceberg of fear, grief, and disrupted childhoods. Understanding that full picture is essential if communities, leaders,
and families hope to design solutions that actually match the scale of the problem.

Conclusion: Counting more than numbers

The gun crisis in America is not just a “gun issue,” a “crime issue,” or a “mental health issue”it’s a youth issue.
Children and teens are paying an outsized price in lives lost, bodies injured, and futures reshaped by trauma. Data from
the CDC, major medical organizations, and public health researchers all point in the same direction: firearm deaths among
young people are rising, firearms have become a leading cause of death, and these outcomes are not evenly distributed across
communities.

The good newsif we can call it thatis that we have evidence about what reduces risk: secure storage, child access
prevention, community-based violence intervention, better mental health support, and treating gun violence as a public
health problem worthy of serious research and sustained attention.

Statistics help us see the size of the crisis. Stories help us feel its depth. The next step is deciding, collectively,
what it will take for American kids to grow up in a country where the loudest part of childhood is laughter on the
playgroundnot the echo of gunfire down the block.