Sep 19, 2022 - News

Gun suicides up 11% in the U.S. since 2014, study shows

Illustration of gun barrels getting longer forming an upward trending bar chart.

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Four out of every ten gun-related deaths in American cities are suicides, a new study from NYU Langone Health and the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund shows.

Driving the news: Gun suicides increased 11% since 2014, according to the analysis of firearm deaths in more than 750 U.S. cities from 2014 through 2020.

Zoom in: Smaller cities experience higher gun suicide rates, researchers found.

  • Bradenton and Sarasota are among the U.S. cities with the highest rates of gun suicides along with Cheyenne, Wyoming; Lake Havasu City, Arizona; and Grand Junction, Colorado.

Researchers also found:

  • States with the strictest gun laws have about half the rate of gun suicides in cities as those in states with the weakest laws.
  • Cities with the most gun shops experience nearly four times higher gun suicide rates than those with the fewest.
  • Cities with the most parks or walkable neighborhoods have about half the rate of gun suicide as those with the fewest.

If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with someone at 988lifeline.org. En Español.

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