Gunfire killed 3,761 infants, children, and teens in 1998, dropping below 4,000 for the first time since 1988. Although the number of young victims was the lowest in ten years, the death of each one is a tragedy.
Guns remain the most common method of suicide for children.
Accidental shootings accounted for most of the balance of the gun deaths of children. Gun violence is an equal opportunity disaster. Homicide is the third leading cause of death among all children ages 5 to 14, and the leading cause of death among Black youths ages 15 to 24. Gunfire in our homes, our communities, and in our schools continues to steal young lives and destroy families. The number of children and teens killed in the United States since 1979 is 36,000 more than the number of soldiers killed in battle in Vietnam.