Gun homicides get far more attention in the popular press, but most gun deaths are the result of suicide. In 2016, the last year for which the CDC provides numbers, 22,938 people committed suicide by firearm, while 14,415 people died in gun homicides. Historical data shows it’s been this way for a while:
There are more gun suicides than gun homicides in America
Nearly 23,000 people died by firearm suicide in 2016.
Dylan Matthews was a senior correspondent and head writer for Vox’s Future Perfect section. He is particularly interested in global health and pandemic prevention, anti-poverty efforts, economic policy and theory, and conflicts about the right way to do philanthropy.
In total, 38,658 people died of firearm injuries in 2016. A relatively small number (495) of those were due to accidental firings. Another 300 resulted from discharges of “undetermined intent,” and 510 resulted from “legal intervention/war.”
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