Accidental Shooting Death Statistics

Accidental shooting death statistics can be a sobering reminder of mortality, but it is important in promoting prevention measures. For those families dealing with the death of a loved one from an accidental shooting, statistics can seem cold and unfeeling. But it's important to put these statistics in front of others because they give some perspective on how big an issue accidental shooting deaths really are in the United States. In 2016 there were 161, 374 deaths from unintentional injuries, the overall 3rd ranking cause of death that year.

From 2006-2016, almost 6, 885 people in the U.S. died from unintentional shootings. In 2016 alone, there were 495 incidents of accidental firearm deaths. Accidental gun deaths occur mainly in those under 25 years old. In 2014, 2, 549 children (aged 0-19) died by gunshot, and an additional 13, 576 were injured.

Adolescents are particularly susceptible to accidental shootings due to specific behavioral characteristics associated with adolescence, such as impulsivity, feelings of invincibility, and curiosity about firearms. A statistically significant association exists between gun availability and the rates of unintentional firearm deaths, homicides, and suicides.

Get quality help now

Doctor Jennifer

Verified writer

Proficient in: Death

5 (893)

“ Thank you so much for accepting my assignment the night before it was due. I look forward to working with you moving forward ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

In the United States, over 1.69 million kids aged 18 and under are living in households with loaded and unlocked firearms, setting the scene for possible tragedy if firearms are not locked and stored properly. A study from 2014 showed that those people that died from the accidental shooting were more than three times as likely to have had a firearm in their home as those in the control.

A 2001 study found that regardless of age, people are nine times more likely to die from unintentional firearm injuries when they live in states with more guns, relative to states with fewer guns.