Report shows declining gun homicides, record gun suicides in 2024
Nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died by gun violence in 2024—one person every 12 minutes, on average—and an all-time high of 27,593 died by firearm suicide, according to the latest annual firearm mortality ...
Nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died by gun violence in 2024—one person every 12 minutes, on average—and an all-time high of 27,593 died by firearm suicide, according to the latest annual firearm mortality report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The report, "The Firearm Mortality Epidemic: Examining the U.S. Data from 2024", analyzes 2024 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It finds that guns were involved in the deaths of 44,447 people in the U.S. in 2024—down 5% from 2023. The overall decrease in gun fatalities in 2024 was largely due to a 15.8% drop in the homicide rate, with 15,364 homicides in 2024.
The vast majority of gun deaths—about 86% of the total—were among males. The report also highlights the increasing rate of gun deaths among females over the past decade, especially among those who are nonwhite. The report finds the gun homicide rate for Black females—measured as the number of cases per 100,000 population—rose by 63% from 2015 to 2024.
"As this report highlights, deadly gun violence is happening on a large scale, affecting all populations," says study lead author Rose Kim, assistant policy adviser at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
The center issues an annual report analyzing the latest available CDC death-certificate data on gun-related causes of death for U.S. residents. The report uses the CDC's categories: suicides, homicides, legal intervention (police-involved gun fatalities), unintentional or undetermined intent.
Gun deaths per year in the U.S. peaked at 48,830 in 2021, amid the social disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have been decreasing slowly since then. The 2024 figure of 44,447 gun deaths represents a roughly 9% decline from that peak. However, gun deaths remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Overall, gun violence remains the leading cause of death for young people ages 1–17 in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year, with 2,214 total gun deaths, according to the report. For some specific youth age groups, firearms were among the leading causes, but not always the top cause: There were 119 deaths among children ages 1–4, 98 among those ages 5–9, 450 among those ages 10–14 and 1,547 among those ages 15–17.
Certain demographics have experienced much higher increases in gun violence over the past decade. For Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino females, gun homicide rates increased from 2015 to 2024—39% and 31%, respectively, compared with a 2% increase among white females. Gun suicide rates also increased over that period, by 169% among Black females, 57% among Hispanic/Latino females and 51% among Asian or Pacific Islander females—compared with just 4% for white females.
The Center for Gun Violence Solutions recommends a mix of evidence-based policy measures, including community violence intervention programs focusing on high-risk individuals and stricter laws on firearm purchaser licensing and domestic violence protection orders to prevent deaths from gun violence.
"We can save lives and address this crisis through a comprehensive public health approach pushing for equitable, evidence-based policies and programs that address multiple forms of gun injury and death," says Cassandra Crifasi, co-director of the center and senior author of the report.
More information
Report: The Firearm Mortality Epidemic: Examining the U.S. Data from 2024
Who's behind this story?
BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021. Full profile →
Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →
Citation: Report shows declining gun homicides, record gun suicides in 2024 (2026, July 10) retrieved 11 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-declining-gun-homicides-suicides.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.