Refuting the Claim: Are Guns Really the #1 Cause of Death for Kids in America?
Truth Over Tactics: Why We Must Let the Data Tell the Story. The importance of data integrity and the danger of manipulating statistics for a narrative impact how we address these issues.
In recent years, headlines have repeatedly claimed that firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in the United States. However, a closer and more honest examination of government data reveals that this is a selective interpretation—one that relies on manipulated definitions and cherry-picked age ranges to push a narrative.
The Actual #1 Cause of Death for Children: Unintentional Injuries
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional injuries (accidents) are consistently the top cause of death among children. This includes things like:
Motor vehicle accidents
Drownings
Falls
Suffocation
Poisoning
CDC FastStats for child health confirms:
“The leading cause of death for children ages 1–14 is unintentional injury.”
(Source: CDC FastStats, Child Health)
How the “Guns Are #1” Claim Is Misleading
Those who claim firearms are the top killer of children use two tactics:
Exclude infants and toddlers (under age 1)
Lump together teenagers (ages 15–19) with young children
This creates a skewed age bracket (1–19) that includes older teens—who are far more likely to be involved in gang violence or crime-related shootings—and treats them the same as toddlers.
If you remove older teens (15–19) from the statistics, firearms are no longer the leading cause of death for children.
Example: In 2021, for ages 1–14, the CDC reports accidents caused 2,617 deaths, while homicide by firearm caused 682 deaths.
(Source: CDC WONDER database, Injury Mortality)
Breakdown by Age Group (CDC 2021 Data)
Age GroupTop Cause of DeathFirearms Rank<1 yearCongenital issuesNot top 51–4 yearsAccidents5th or lower5–9 yearsAccidentsLow10–14 yearsAccidents2nd–3rd15–19 yearsHomicide (incl. firearms)Firearms #1
Only in the 15–19 age group do firearms rise to the top, and that's because this is when criminal activity, gang violence, and homicide increase dramatically. These are not toddlers, preschoolers, or even grade-school children.
Why This Matters
By misrepresenting data and lumping together children with near-adults, the media and certain advocacy groups politicize a tragedy rather than pursue honest solutions.
Saying “guns are the #1 killer of children” ignores the larger threat of accidental deaths
It distracts from proven safety strategies, like water safety, car seat laws, and fall prevention
It overstates the role of guns in childhood deaths, while underreporting deaths from preventable accidents
Conclusion: The Facts Speak for Themselves
✅ Unintentional injuries are the actual leading cause of death for children
❌ Firearms are not the #1 cause of death when children are correctly defined as those under 15
🧠 The "guns are #1" claim relies on distorted data and an inflated age range (1–19)
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Child Health FastStats. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/child-health.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Injury Mortality Reports. CDC WONDER Online Database. https://wonder.cdc.gov
MedlinePlus. (2022). Common causes of death in children. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001915.htm
National Safety Council. (2023). Injury Facts: Childhood Injuries. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org
