Community Safety

Data sourcing

The CDC’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) collects and provides data on gun deaths in the United States. This information is gathered from state and local injury surveillance programs and is used to understand the impact of firearm-related injuries across the country. WISQARS™ allows users to explore data by intent of injury, mechanism, geographic location, and demographics, supporting public health and policy decisions.

For enhanced county-level analysis of gun violence homicides and suicides, we also use data from the CDC's Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence Dashboard (MIOVD). This dashboard displays data on deaths from drug overdose, suicide, and homicide using provisional and final death data received from states, providing enhanced geographic detail down to the county level.

We supplement gun violence data at the county level with data released by CHR (County Health Rankings), which also sources from the National Center for Health Statistics.

A note about CDC WISQARS. The CDC’s WISQARS limits data released at state and county levels to protect privacy. Mortality data, collected from death certificates and processed by the National Center for Health Statistics, takes approximately 13 months to become official. Provisional data and annual updates mean that reported numbers may change and should be interpreted with caution. Additionally, postcensal population estimates are updated annually, affecting fatal injury rates over time. Some data calculated on case counts less than 20 are labeled "unstable" by CDC WISQARS and should be interpreted with caution.

Measures

Conditions

• Gun-Related Deaths by Homicides
• Gun-Related Deaths by Suicides
• Gun-Related Deaths for Children
• Gun-Related Deaths for Young Adults
• Gun-Related Deaths for Black Men

Metrics

• Deaths per 100k: Rate of deaths caused by firearms per 100,000 individuals in the population.
• Percent share: This figure measures a particular group’s share of the total cases of gun-related deaths.
• Population percent: This figure measures a particular group’s share of the total measured population.

Demographic Identifiers

Race/ethnicity: WISQARS' methodology includes race category data from 2018 onward, aligning with WISQARS’ transition to single race categories from bridged race categories used in previous years. The dataset does not provide information on unknown races, ensuring that all race data for gun deaths are categorized under the specified groups. This approach helps maintain consistency and accuracy in representing demographic information in gun-related death statistics. Note that data for age and sex categories extends further back in time.

Sex: WISQARS data on gun deaths is categorized by sex as male and female.

Age: WISQARS provides the age of each individual at the time of death. We group and present this data in several ways, both as focused reports and as a demographic disaggregations.

For our "Youth" reports we present:

• 0-17 years old (Children)
• 18-25 years old (Young Adults)

For our other reports, we categorize age into the following groups:

• 0-14 years old
• 15-19 years old
• 20-24 years old
• 25-29 years old
• 30-34 years old
• 35-44 years old
• 45-64 years old
• 65 years old and over

• Gun deaths: age: Available; race/ethnicity: Available; sex: Available; city size: Not available
• Gun homicides (Black Men) (Black (NH) Men): age: Available; race/ethnicity: Not available; sex: Not available; city size: Available
• Gun homicides: age: Available; race/ethnicity: Available; sex: Available; city size: Not available
• Gun suicides: age: Available; race/ethnicity: Available; sex: Available; city size: Not available
• Gun deaths (children) (Ages 0-17): age: Not available; race/ethnicity: Available; sex: Not available; city size: Not available
• Gun deaths (young adults) (Ages 18-25): age: Not available; race/ethnicity: Available; sex: Not available; city size: Not available

Gun deaths

Measurement definition: Deaths resulting from firearms.

Gun homicides (Black Men)

Measurement definition: Deaths of Black or African-American (NH) males, caused by gun homicides.

Gun homicides

Measurement definition: Deaths caused by firearms used with the intent to harm others.

Clinical importance: Homicide fatalities by guns are a critical public health issue, as they often occur in contexts of other societal issues like poverty, inequality, and limited access to mental health services. Focusing on reducing gun-related homicides is essential for advancing health equity, especially in vulnerable populations.

Gun suicides

Measurement definition: Deaths resulting from individuals using firearms to inflict self-harm.

Clinical importance: Gun suicides represent a significant portion of firearm deaths. Addressing this issue is vital for health equity as it involves improving mental health services, access to care, and community support systems, particularly in areas with limited resources.

Gun deaths (children)

Measurement definition: Deaths of individuals under the age of 18 caused by firearms.

Clinical importance: Measuring gun deaths among children is crucial because it helps us understand the impact of firearm violence on younger populations, guiding the development of targeted interventions and policies to protect our most vulnerable citizens and prevent future tragedies.

Gun deaths (young adults)

Measurement definition: Deaths of individuals between the ages of 18-25 caused by firearms.

Clinical importance: Measuring gun deaths among young adults is crucial because it helps us understand the impact of firearm violence on younger populations, guiding the development of targeted interventions and policies to protect our most vulnerable citizens and prevent future tragedies.