Gun-related deaths of US children are rising at ‘alarming’ rate, study reveals

A memorial for the 21 victims of a mass shooting at Robb elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. A study comes as a spate of mass shootings in the US has led to calls for substantial gun control. Photograph: Reuters

A new study by researchers at Boston Children’s hospital found children’s gun-related deaths have surged over the past decade, increasing by 87%.

Researchers analyzed data on fatal and non-fatal shooting injuries from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) injury reporting system, finding deadly wound rates increased from nearly 14 deaths per 100,000 children in 2011 to more than 17 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.