US urges stricter gun control policy as gun deaths reach record high

Over the past few years, the US has seen a drastic rise in gun violence, a trend that has become quite common, causing a shocking rise in the number of deaths and injuries throughout the country.

The main lethal weapon in this type of violence is the gun, which is one of the reasons why a stricter gun control policy is needed to make it impossible to own a gun for those who should not own one in the first place.

Taking such action could make neighbourhoods a safer place to live and give parents a sense of security in sending their kids to school without having to fear for their children's safety.

A new analysis of data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that the number of children killed by guns in the US reached a distressing peak in 2021, taking the lives of 4,752 children — breaking the previous record set during the pandemic's first year.

According to experts, the worrying statistic amplifies evidence that the epidemic of gun violence in the US has worsened.

Males 19 years of age and younger made up more than 80% of those killed by firearms. The risk of homicide death was higher in black male children. White males aged 19 and under were more likely to commit suicide with a firearm.

“This is undoubtedly one of our chief public health crises in this country,” said Dr Chethan Sathya, a pediatric trauma surgeon at Northwell Health in New York and the lead author of the study, which was published Monday in the journal Paediatrics. "The most likely reason that your child will die in this country is at the hands of a firearm. That’s not acceptable."

The sad truth is that surpassing traffic accidents, drug overdoses, and cancer, gun-related injuries have become the leading cause of death for children and adolescents for the second year in a row.

There are no indications that this trend will halt, according to Sathya.

Although unintentional shootings have killed numerous children, homicides accounted for almost two-thirds of deaths in 2021. No matter how young the victims, pediatric gun-related deaths have affected almost all regions of the US.

A young child, aged 3, shot himself in the head with a handgun in Florida recently. In California, a 3-year-old boy shot and killed his 1-year-old sister with a handgun. In Michigan, a 2-year-old lost his life after discovering an "unsecured" firearm. 

A 6-year-old was shot and killed by a 9-year-old just weeks ago in Florida.

In addition, three black individuals also became victims of gun violence in Jacksonville, Florida today.

Gun violence and communities of colour

The effects are still more severe for black children as the analysis states that there was a nearly 42% rise in the number of children killed by firearms between 2018 and 2021.

More than 4,700 child fatalities attributed to firearms were reported in 2021, an increase of almost 9% from the previous year.

Following a sharp rise in child fatalities from gunshot wounds in 2020 that was attributed to pandemic-related lockdowns and kids being cooped up at home, researchers anticipated a decline in these incidents in 2021. However, those expectations did not come true.

"This came as a surprise to many of us," Sathya said, adding that the nation may have reached an "alarming new baseline" where there will be an increase in the number of child gun deaths.

The analysis found that out of those 2021 fatalities, 64.3% were homicides, 29.9% were suicides, and 3.5% were injuries that were not intentionally caused.

Communities of colour have been disproportionately impacted by the problem of gun-related child homicides.

As of 2018, there were 67.3% more gun-related homicides involving black children than there were in 2020. 78.4% of child suicides involving firearms were committed by white kids.

A total of 50% of all gun-related deaths among children were Black.

Nirmita Panchal, a senior policy analyst at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), which was formerly known as the Kaiser Foundation for Family Research, claims that the disparities between Black and White children are consistent with findings from earlier studies.

“Communities of colour have seen a stark increase in these deaths compared to their white peers,” she said.

Gun violence and mental health

Furthermore, Nirmita continued, young victims of gun-related injuries might face additional difficulties in addition to their physical trauma and they are more prone to developing substance use disorders and mental health issues.

Geographically, the southern states — such as Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina — and Montana bore a greater burden of fatalities when looking at gun-related deaths among children, although researchers are starting to see rising rates in the Midwest, per the analysis.

In 2021, 82.6% of gun-related fatalities were committed by older adolescents, ages 15 to 19. More gun deaths occur in areas of the US where poverty is higher.

“Structural inequity, structural racism, social determinants of health, food insecurity are all root drivers of violence,” including gun violence, Sathya said.

Along with her husband and two children, Dr Emily Lieberman, a pediatrician at Lurie Children's Hospital, survived the Highland Park Shooting in Chicago last year.

"I was not a hero that day. I saved no one; I helped no one but my family, and when I did leave that day alive, I knew that I was changed forever," she said.

The most recent data on pediatric gun deaths, according to Lieberman, made her wish she had been surprised. She does, however, believe that the death toll will increase in the upcoming year due to the lack of gun-related legislation from lawmakers.

"We are seeing every day countless children dying, perishing from gun violence," she said. "It is affecting everyone, everywhere, and only getting worse."

Panchal noted that Congressmen have focused on enhancing school-based mental health services and offering trauma treatment for children.

Sathya claimed he has pushed for more thorough background checks and secure weapon storage. Furthermore, he argued that more study of the fundamental causes of gun violence was necessary.

"Although we can say this is an issue that might not affect everybody, it really does,” he said. “If you look at the spikes in gun injuries, it’s hitting all communities. It doesn’t matter where you live."