Gun violence is a public health crisis, surgeon general says: A look at the statistics

The U.S. surgeon general declared gun violence in America a public health crisis today and called for a series of initiatives similar to those used against smoking and motor vehicle crashes to stop it.

An estimated 50,000 people are killed every year in gun violence, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said, and the impact spreads far beyond those deaths. 

Murthy issued a 39-page advisory, the first of its kind related to firearm deaths. It focused on the rise of gun violence across the country over the past 10 years and suggested several responses, including warning labels on weapons.

Read more: Why advisory is urgent.

The rate of firearm-related deaths “reached a near three-decade high in 2021,” the advisory said. Increases in firearm‑related homicides since 2012 and firearm‑related suicides over the last two decades are driving the crisis.

The advisory called out the rise in deaths among young people attributed to firearms, and the cascading effects of firearm deaths on Black Americans and other communities as part of the crisis.

Firearms now lead causes of death for children, adolescents

Firearm-related suicides rising among young people

US leads peers in firearm rates of death for adolescents

Murthy suggested several possible responses to the crisis, including:

◾ Warning labels on firearms.

◾ Restatement of assault weapon ban.

◾ Laws on safe gun storage.

Firearm violence is echoing across the country as more U.S. adults report worrying about themselves or a loved one becoming a victim, according to Reuters. The surgeon general's advisory cited a 2023 survey by KFF, a health policy research and news organization, in which 54% of U.S. adults said that they or a family member experienced a firearm-related incident.

Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Office of the U.S. Surgeon General; KFF