This FAQ answers common questions about gun violence in America, including how many people die from gun-related injuries, what causes gun violence, how it affects different communities, and which policies can help prevent it.

Gun violence refers to injuries or deaths caused by firearms, including homicides, suicides, mass shootings, domestic violence shootings, unintentional shootings, and shootings involving law enforcement.

In 2024, 44,447 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of CDC data. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions reported that 2024 firearm deaths included 27,593 firearm suicides and 15,364 firearm homicides.

Gun violence remains one of the leading causes of death for young people in the United States. Johns Hopkins found that firearms have been the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17 since 2020, and KFF found that child and adolescent firearm death rates remained above pre-pandemic levels in 2024.

Researchers estimate that civilians in the United States own roughly 393 million firearms, more than any other country in the world, according to the Small Arms Survey.

Yes, gun laws are proven to reduce gun deaths and save lives. States with best-in-class policies in place experience rates of gun deaths much lower than states that have passed no additional gun safety laws.

In 2024, 44,447 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States, according to Pew Research Center’s analysis of CDC data.

Suicide is the most common type of gun death in the United States. In 2024, firearm suicides accounted for 27,593 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Yes. Public health experts, including the American Public Health Association, describe gun violence as a preventable public health crisis that requires a comprehensive response.

Evidence-based solutions include background checks, secure storage laws, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence firearm restrictions, and community violence intervention programs.

Yes, gun laws and other evidence evidence-based solutions, including background checks, secure storage laws, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence firearm restrictions, and community violence intervention programs, all reduce gun crime.

Yes. Gun violence is not inevitable. Research, policy, public health strategies, community-based programs, and responsible firearm storage can all help reduce firearm injuries and deaths.

Gun violence refers to injuries or deaths caused by firearms. It includes gun homicides, gun suicides, mass shootings, domestic violence shootings, unintentional shootings, shootings involving law enforcement, and nonfatal firearm injuries.

Gun violence is not one single problem. It is a collection of overlapping public safety and public health challenges that require different but coordinated solutions.

Tens of thousands of people die from gun-related injuries in the United States each year.

In 2024, Pew Research Center reported that 44,447 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States. Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions found that those deaths included 27,593 firearm suicides and 15,364 firearm homicides.

Gun deaths include homicides, suicides, unintentional shootings, shootings involving law enforcement, and deaths with undetermined intent.

Gun violence in the United States takes several forms:

Gun suicide:Suicide accounts for the majority of firearm deaths in the United States. In 2024, 27,593 people died by firearm suicide, according to Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

Gun homicide: Gun homicides include fatal shootings resulting from interpersonal violence, domestic violence, community violence, and other criminal acts.

Mass shootings:Mass shootings receive significant public attention and cause profound harm, though they represent a smaller share of overall gun deaths.

Domestic violence shootings: Firearms make domestic violence more likely to become deadly. Laws that prevent people with significant histories of domestic violence and abuse from accessing firearms are essential to protecting victims and survivors.

Unintentional shootings: These include accidental shootings, and the risk of these shootings is exacerbated by unsecured firearms.

Child and youth gun deaths: Driven by irresponsibly stored firearms, school shootings, community violence, domestic violence, and suicide, gun violence has been the leading cause of death for American children since 2020, outpacing deaths from car crashes, cancer, and drownings.

Police shootings: These occur during law enforcement encounters and often lead to significant ruptures in police-community trust, contributing to cycles of community violence.

Gun violence is considered a public health issue because it causes widespread death, injury, trauma, and long-term harm to families and communities.

A public health approach focuses on identifying risk factors, preventing harm before it happens, and using evidence-based interventions to save lives. Johns Hopkins describes this approach as addressing both firearm access and the underlying risk factors that contribute to gun violence.

Like car crashes, smoking, or infectious disease, gun violence can be reduced through research, policy, education, and prevention.

Gun violence does not have a single cause. It is shaped by many risk factors, including:

Because gun violence has multiple causes, effective prevention requires multiple solutions.

A number of commonsense policies can help reduce firearm injuries and deaths:

Background checks: Background checks help keep guns out of the hands of people legally prohibited from possessing them.

Extreme risk protection orders: Also known as red flag laws, these allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from people who pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

Secure storage laws: These laws require or encourage gun owners to store firearms safely when not in use to keep children and others from accessing them.

Domestic violence firearm restrictions: These laws help prevent people with domestic violence convictions or restraining orders from accessing firearms.

Community violence intervention programs: These programs work directly with people at highest risk of being involved in violence.

Gun trafficking prevention: Stronger laws and enforcement can help reduce illegal gun movement across state lines and into communities.

Background checks are a quick, efficient screening used to determine whether a person is legally allowed to buy or possess a firearm.

Federal law requires licensed gun dealers to conduct background checks before selling firearms. But federal law does not require background checks for gun sales between private parties, such as people who meet online or at gun shows. Some states have closed this gap by requiring background checks for most or all firearm purchases.

Universal background checks are one of the most widely supported and effective gun safety policies in the United States and are firmly in line with the Second Amendment.

Extreme risk protection orders, often called red flag laws, allow family members, household members, or law enforcement to ask a court to temporarily remove firearms from someone who may pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

These laws are designed to prevent gun suicides, mass shootings, and other acts of violence by creating a legal process for intervention during moments of crisis.

A study in California found that the state’s extreme risk law prevented 58 potential mass shootings, and another study of six states with extreme risk laws found prevented more than 650 potential multiple victim/mass shooting incidents.

Secure storage laws, which require individuals to secure firearms so that they are not accessible to children and other unauthorized users, can help prevent youth firearm suicide, unintentional shootings, and unauthorized access to guns.

Johns Hopkins reports that an estimated 82% of adolescent firearm suicides involve a gun belonging to a family member, and that 80% of school shooters under 18 accessed a firearm from their home or the home of a relative or friend.

RAND’s review of child access prevention laws found supportive evidence that these laws reduce firearm self-injuries among young people, including firearm suicides, suicide attempts, and other self-injuries.

Gun violence is one of the most serious threats facing children and teens in the United States.

Johns Hopkins found that firearms have been the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17 since 2020. KFF found that child and adolescent firearm death rates declined in 2024 but remained above pre-pandemic levels.

Young people are affected by gun violence through community violence, school shootings, domestic violence, suicide, unintentional shootings, and exposure to trauma. Learn more about how gun violence affects children and teens.

Community violence intervention, or CVI, refers to programs that work directly with people and neighborhoods at the highest risk of gun violence.

These programs often rely on credible messengers, violence interrupters, outreach workers, case managers, and community leaders who mediate conflicts, prevent retaliation, connect people with services, and build trust.

The Office of Justice Programs describes CVI as an evidence-informed approach that uses tailored, community-centered strategies to prevent violence and disrupt cycles of retaliation.

Well-designed and well-funded community violence intervention programs can reduce shootings and save lives.

These programs are not a replacement for strong gun laws, but they are an essential part of a comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy, especially in communities experiencing high levels of firearm homicide.

John Jay College’s Research and Evaluation Center found decreases in homicides and violent assaults in areas working with the CVI program Advance Peace in Sacramento, compared with slight increases in non-program areas during the same period.

GIFFORDS also tracks and analyzes state-level CVI policy through the Community Violence Intervention Policy Analysis and Tracking Hub.

The United States has more civilian-owned firearms than any other country.

The Small Arms Survey estimated that US civilians owned roughly 393 million firearms, representing a large share of the global civilian firearm stockpile.

This high level of firearm availability increases the importance of strong gun safety laws, secure storage, and responsible gun ownership.

“Gun control” and “gun violence prevention” are often used in overlapping ways.

Gun violence prevention generally refers to laws, policies, and practices designed to reduce firearm injuries and deaths while promoting responsible gun ownership. These can include background checks, secure storage, extreme risk protection orders, domestic violence firearm restrictions, and community-based violence prevention programs.

The term “gun violence prevention” is often more accurate because the goal is not simply to regulate firearms, but to reduce harm and save lives. “Gun control” is outdated and is a specific reference to 20th century legislation, the Gun Control Act of 1968.

Gun owners have an important role to play in preventing gun violence.

Responsible firearm ownership includes storing guns securely, keeping guns away from children and people in crisis, reporting stolen firearms, and supporting policies that help prevent dangerous access to guns.

Many gun owners support some gun safety policies, including background checks for private sales and gun show sales. Pew Research Center has found broad public support for expanded background checks, including support from many gun owners.

Like every industry, the gun manufacturers and sellers have a responsibility to reduce the risks associated with their products. That includes selling firearms responsibly, preventing illegal trafficking, supporting secure storage, and avoiding marketing that glorifies violence or encourages reckless behavior. Too often, however, certain manufacturers have marketed deadly, military-style firearms using messages that appeal to fear, power, and aggression or even encourage exploiting loopholes in firearm laws.

The gun industry has regularly prioritized profits over public safety and resisted accountability for harmful business practices. Holding irresponsible manufacturers and dealers accountable can encourage safer conduct and help prevent future harm.

Gun violence imposes major economic costs on families, communities, employers, healthcare systems, and governments.

These costs include emergency medical care, long-term healthcare needs, law enforcement response, court costs, lost wages, reduced productivity, trauma services, and diminished quality of life.

The American Public Health Association has described the costs of firearm assault injury as including medical care, criminal justice resources, lost wages, reduced productivity, and long-term harm to victims and families.

Gun violence trends vary by year, location, and type of firearm death.

Gun deaths rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. They declined in 2023 and 2024, but remained high by historical standards. Pew Research Center reported that 44,447 people died from gun-related injuries in 2024, down from 46,728 in 2023.

Homicides and suicides can move in different directions, so it is important to look at the specific type of gun violence being measured.

Firearm death rates vary widely by state.

CDC firearm mortality data tracks firearm death rates by state and uses age-adjusted rates to allow better comparison across states with different population sizes and age distributions.

In general, states with weaker gun safety laws tend to have higher gun death rates, while states with stronger gun safety laws tend to have lower gun death rates. GIFFORDS tracks this relationship through the Annual Gun Law Scorecard.

Individuals can help reduce gun violence by:

Ending gun violence requires action from individuals, communities, policymakers, healthcare professionals, educators, survivors, and responsible gun owners.

People researching gun violence often ask:

The information on this page is based on data and research from public health agencies, academic institutions, and policy research organizations, including: