Unintentional Firearm Injury Deaths in Children Mainly Occur in Homes

THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Unintentional firearm injury deaths among children mainly occur at home, and most are inflicted by others, according to research published in the Dec. 15 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Rebecca F. Wilson, Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues characterized unintentional firearm injury deaths of U.S. infants, children, and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years using data recorded during 2003 to 2021 by the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) from 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The researchers note that 1,262 unintentional firearm injury deaths were identified by the NVDRS among children aged 0 to 17 years, with 33, 29, 24, and 14 percent among those aged 11 to 15, 0 to 5, 16 to 17, and 6 to 10 years, respectively. Of the unintentional firearm injury deaths, 83 percent occurred among boys. Most victims (85 percent) were fatally injured at a house or apartment, 56 percent in their own home. Overall, 53 and 38 percent of fatal unintentional firearm injuries to children were inflicted by others and were self-inflicted, respectively. Firearms used in unintentional injury deaths were often stored loaded and unlocked (74 and 76 percent, respectively), with access occurring most often from nightstands and other sleeping areas (30 percent).

"These results underscore the importance of 1) promoting secure firearm storage practices (e.g., storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition) and parental supervision (especially when a firearm is in the home), and 2) parents and caregivers asking about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes their children visit and play as strategies to prevent unintentional firearm injuries and deaths," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text