CLEVELAND – The number of American children dying by gunfire is soaring to a new height and prompting more calls across the country for immediate action to be taken.

What You Need To Know

  • Gun deaths among kids in the U.S. rose 50% between 2019-2021, according to a new study
  • In 2021, the number of gun deaths among kids jumped to 2,590, which is more than any other year on record
  • Overall, nearly 49,000 Americans were killed by gunfire in 2021, the highest on record

Gun deaths among kids in the United States rose 50% in two years (2019-2021), according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.

In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, there were 1,732 gun deaths among U.S. children and teens under the age of 18. By 2021, that number had jumped to 2,590, which is more than any other year on record.

“Only in the U.S. are guns the leading cause of death for children and teens,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, senior director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety, a movement made up of millions of Americans working to reduce gun violence. “We are a nation of survivors. So many of us know people who have been shot, who have lost a loved one and every day we add more to this.”

The rise in child deaths by firearm is just one part in an overall gun violence trend. 

According to the Pew Research Center study, nearly 49,000 Americans were killed by gunfire in 2021. That’s the highest yearly total on record.

The solution to reducing gun violence is often debated. Some are pushing for stricter gun laws, while others are calling for more mental health resources. Burd-Sharps said we need both, along with educating gun owners on properly securing their firearm when not in use.

“I think many Americans would be horrified to know that nearly once every day, a kid under 18 years old gets access to a gun, that a parent thought was hidden, and unintentionally shoots themselves or someone else,” Burd-Sharps said. “Our gun violence epidemic in this country is having a devastating effect on kids. We have to take action.”