Firearm-related homicide rate skyrockets amid stresses of the pandemic, the CDC says

There were more than 19,000 homicides in 2020 that involved a firearm.

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According to new research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate at which Americans were killed in gun homicides jumped by more than 30% in 2020 to the highest level in more than 25 years.

The rates of gun homicides grew most among groups that were already at higher risk, including people in poor areas, young men and Black people.

The firearm homicide rate was 6.1 per 100,000 Americans in 2020, up from 4.5 a year earlier.

The acting principal deputy director of the CDC said that the findings underscore the importance of comprehensive approaches that can stop violence now and prevent future deaths.

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The report found that black men and boys died by gun homicides at a higher rate than white men.

The rate of firearm homicides among non-Hispanic Black people rose by 7.5 percentage points in 2020, widening the gap between them and other groups.

Houry said that we are losing too many of our nation's children and young people, specifically Black boys and young Black men.

There were more than 19,000 homicides in 2020 that involved a firearm.

Last fall, the CDC and FBI reported that the US saw an unprecedented spike in murders in 2020.

Changes and disruptions to services and education, social isolation, economic stressors such as job loss, housing instability and difficulty covering daily expenses are some of the stressors that could be related to the leap.

Income inequality, unemployment and housing instability are some of the factors that have been linked to deaths by gun.

These were already hard hit communities, when you look at things like job loss, economic stressors, and social isolation.

Even as the number of gun homicides increased, suicides remained the leading cause of death.

The rate of suicides using a firearm remained roughly the same in 2020 as it has been for several years.

Mike Anestis, a professor at Rutgers University and the executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, said that the finding comes as suicide rates overall trended down in 2020.

He pointed to the record gun sales as a likely factor. More than 20 million guns were sold in 2020, up from 12.4 million in 2019.

The shift in the demographic of firearm ownership likely played a role in the paper, according to Anestis.

Researchers noted that the proportion of homicides and suicides caused by firearms went up. The number of homicides and suicides that involve guns is higher in 2020 than it was in previous years.

When you look at the number of people who die from suicide in the U.S., they are unacceptably high. Houry said these deaths are preventable.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or send a text to 741741.