This animated map is based on the information from shootingtracker.com.

So far in 2015, there have been 353 incidents where 4 or more people were injured or killed as the result of a shooting – this means there have been more mass shootings then days in the year.  Yes, you read it right. The amount of gun related deaths in 2015  has surpassed motor vehicle traffic deaths, meaning guns have now become deadlier than cars.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  accounted that American children and teenagers are 4 times more likely to die by gunfire than their counterparts in Canada, 7 times more likely than young people in Israel, and 65 times more likely to be killed with a gun than children and teenagers in the United Kingdom.

And while these guns play a constant role in so many deaths across america, still very few public health research dollars are spent to understand the causes of this epidemic and develop policy solutions to address it.

The Kaiser Family Foundation assembled a table of statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on 2013 mortality rates from firearms in each state. Kaiser combined various firearm-related causes of death, including assault by firearm, police shootings, suicide by firearm, and accidental discharges.

Some other highlights include:

  • States with the highest rate include Alaska (19.8) and Louisiana (19.3). Alaska doesn’t require residents to have a permit for carrying concealed weapons, while Louisiana does (but has fairly permissive gun laws otherwise).
  • States with the lowest rate include Massachusetts (3.1) and Hawaii (2.6). Both states have some of the strictest gun control laws in the country.

Of these recorded firearm-related deaths:

  • 53 UNKNOWN
  • 68 SHOT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
  • 145 UNINTENTIONAL SHOOTINGS
  • 2,046 GUN SUICIDES
  • 3,889 GUN HOMICIDES

In 2010, the second most frequent cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24 was homicide, and 83% of those homicides were committed with a gun.

 

Additionally, The American Progress on Youth Gun Violence reports that these Millennials are increasingly expressing concern about gun violence. A 2013 poll commissioned by the Center for American Progress, Generation Progress, and Mayors Against Illegal Guns found that 70% of respondents under the age of 30 agreed that “the gun culture in our society has gotten out of control.”

Our American youth deserve more than this. People must make their voices heard in demanding that our leaders take action to ensure that our nation of all ages, in every large and small community, are able to live and thrive without fear of preventable gun abuse and violence.