Tomorrow begins National Gun Violence Awareness Day, observed this year from June 3-5. Sadly, we are very much aware of gun violence as we continue to mourn those lost in Uvalde and the other 20 MASS SHOOTINGS SINCE UVALDE (Gun Violence Archive). Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children ages 1-19 in the U.S.; a child or teen is killed with a gun every 2 hours and 36 minutes (Children's Defense Fund).
Doing nothing is not an option. Enough is enough.
See our Gun Violence newsletter:
SHDTC Updates-Gun Violence-Issue 3-060322 (PDF)
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Crossing Trend Lines: Firearms Overtake Vehicles
The NEJM graph above, which accompanies a May 2022 article, shows the leading causes of death among U.S. children and adolescents from 1999 to 2020. An April 2022 article discussed the top two causes, firearms-related injury and motor vehicle crashes.
The
downward trend line for motor vehicles reflects the positive effects
of ongoing efforts to prevent deaths of young people from motor vehicle
crashes. In addition to upgraded vehicle safety features, a number of
safety
measures have focused on young people, including more protective
car seats, guidance for parents, and graduated licensing for new
drivers. Data from the federal
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) comprehensive
public database helps to show results over time. In contrast, with
little
concerted attention to prevention efforts, firearm-related deaths
among young people have been on the rise in recent years, becoming the
most common cause of death beginning in 2017. A need for comprehensive
and consistent data collection for firearms is noted.
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) | April 21, 2022
Crossing Lines--A Change in the Leading Cause of Death Among U.S. Children
The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) | May 19, 2022
Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States
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The Gun Violence Archive
https://www.gunviolencearchive.org
This website resource maintained by a not-for-profit group collects, checks, and shares information at no cost about gun-related violence in the U.S. to inform discussion and activities concerning gun violence. A running report lists incidents in the last 72 hours; the time period from May 30 through June 1, 2022 showed 299 events--including one in Springfield and one in Chicopee.
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Violence Policy Center
https://vpc.org
Large-capacity
ammunition magazines are the common thread running through most mass
shootings in the U.S. The 89 mass shootings (3 or more fatalities) from
May 1981 through May 25, 2022 in Uvalde, TX, listed in this report
killed 836 people and wounded 1185.
Large-capacity ammunition magazines (PDF)
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