Gun-Related Suicides and Killings Continued to Rise in 2021, CDC Reports
December 02, 2022
Recent data suggest more efforts are needed to address firearm suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rates of gun-related suicide increased by just over eight percent in 2021. Rates went up among both men and women and in most age and racial and ethnic groups. However, the largest increases were among Black and Hispanic people, and the highest rates for adults under 45 were among American Indian and Alaska Native people. Gun owners can help prevent suicide by keeping firearms locked, unloaded, and stored away from ammunition, said Sarah Burd Sharps, senior director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety. She also called for more state laws that allow for the temporary transfer of guns from people in crisis. The CDC analysis also showed that while gun-related suicides rose by 10 percent from 2019 to 2021, suicides by other methods decreased by about 8 percent in that period.
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