Firearm prevalence

    • When a firearm is in the home, all household members are at increased risk for homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury
    • Risk of suicide increases by a factor of 4.8, and risk for homicide by a factor of 2.7
    • Individuals with risk factors are less likely to safely store their firearms

Firearms and suicide

    • 60% of U.S. firearm deaths in 2017 were suicides
    • Firearms are the means in approximately half of suicides
    • As many as 90% of suicide attempts with a firearm result in death
    • When firearms are present in the home, suicide risk increases by a factor of 4.8
    • About 4% of U.S. adults have had suicidal ideation in the past 12 months
    • Risk is highest among middle-aged and older white non-Hispanic men
    • In a series of 44 adolescent suicides with a known firearm source, 82% of weapons were owned by a parent of family member

Firearms and accidental death

    • Accounted for less than 2% of firearm deaths in 2017
    • Approximately 20% of homes with children have guns stored in the least-secure manner

Firearms and mass homicide

    • One review found 85% of school shooters obtained their guns from the home
    • Public mass shootings account for less than 2% of U.S. firearm deaths

Firearms and homicide

    • 36.3% of deaths from firearms in 2017 were homicides
    • Firearms were the means for almost 75% of homicides
    • When firearms are present in the home, homicide risk increases by a factor of 2.7
    • Risk is concentrated among young African American men
    • Only 4% to 5% of interpersonal violence is primarily attributable to diagnosed mental illness