A child in the U.S. is more likely to die due to a firearm than a car accident. Almost 19% of all child and teenager deaths were caused due to guns in the U.S. in 2021.
Child mortality is rising at the fastest rate in 50 years https://t.co/gTHnJRtzmE pic.twitter.com/ZDMfwXrvW0
— The Hill (@thehill) March 23, 2023
The country has now become a very unsafe place for children and teenagers at a constant risk of falling prey to firearm violence. No country other than the U.S. has firearms as one of the top four reasons behind childhood mortality.
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In 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School was shot up by gunman Adam Lanza who shot and killed 20 children between the age of 6 to 7 years. This was the second deadliest school shooting in the history of the U.S.
On 27th March this year, a Covenant school in Nashville, Tennessee, was the victim of a mass shooting. 3 children and 3 staff members died as a result. This brings back the memories of the Uvalde school shooting in Florida, which took place just last year.
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The closer we look into the statistics, the more concerning it gets. A study suggested that firearms caused half of the deaths in America in 2020.
FACT CHECK—State Child Death Review Board 2021 Report:
📌Critical Race Theory NOT listed as risk factor for youth suicide
📌Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation are risk factors—let’s stop bullying trans kids #ksleg
📌Boys are dying at an alarming rate due to suicide with a gun pic.twitter.com/BgFqLfrX9f— Jo Ella Hoye (@joellahoye) October 28, 2021
The use of firearms is a culture within American society. However, there are no strict legislations or background checks that take place when one becomes an owner of a gun. It is the responsibility of the U.S. that their children, the most vulnerable section of society, are protected against firearms.
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Almost 20% of all child deaths in the country occur due to firearms. This is a staggering number against other developed nations where guns account for less than 2% of child and teen deaths. While death by firearms also includes accidental firing and suicides, violent assault due to guns is the leading cause of death of children in America.