Gun Control Claims About Child Deaths Challenged

Gun control advocates, including some Democratic leaders, have claimed that firearms are the leading cause of death among children in the United States. However, this assertion is disputed by data that shows motor vehicle deaths consistently outnumber firearm deaths among minors.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, recently called for new gun control laws, stating that guns are "the number one killer of kids in our country." Similarly, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has echoed this sentiment. In June, the Ad Council launched a $10 million campaign highlighting gun injuries as the leading cause of death for children and teens.

Despite these claims, data indicates that vehicle-related deaths have historically surpassed firearm deaths among those under 18. In 2023, the total number of deaths from motor vehicle accidents was nearly equal to that from firearms, with 2,580 vehicle deaths compared to 2,581 firearm deaths. However, this figure includes justifiable homicides, which can skew the perception of firearm-related fatalities.

When excluding justifiable homicides and focusing on murder statistics, the number of firearm-related deaths drops significantly. According to FBI data, the number of firearm homicides involving minors was 2,166 in 2023. Notably, about 72 percent of these homicides involved individuals aged 15 to 17, often linked to gang activity.

"Even if we classify 17-year-old gang members as 'children,' the gun control claim doesn’t hold up," said John R. Lott Jr., president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. He noted that in 2019 and 2020, more minors died from suffocation than from firearms.

For children under 15, the disparity is even greater. From 2019 to 2023, motor vehicle deaths were between 64 percent and 153 percent higher than firearm deaths, excluding justified homicides.

The rise in homicides among minors since 2020 has led some Democrats to attribute the increase to gun availability, while overlooking other factors such as police budget cuts and changes in prosecution policies.

Lott argues that the assumption that banning guns would save lives is flawed. He points out that previous gun bans in cities like Washington and Chicago have correlated with rising murder rates.

"After every gun ban, murder rates have gone up," Lott stated, emphasizing that this trend is consistent across various jurisdictions.

International examples also illustrate this point. Following the United Kingdom's handgun ban in 1997, the homicide rate increased by 50 percent over the next eight years. Similar trends were observed in Jamaica and Ireland, where homicide rates surged after gun restrictions were implemented.

Furthermore, Lott contends that blaming suicides on firearms is misleading. While gun bans may reduce firearm suicides, they do not significantly impact overall suicide rates, as individuals often resort to alternative methods.

In 2023, removing suicides from the firearm death count for those under 18 would reduce the total from 2,581 to 1,835, according to CDC data.

In conclusion, the narrative that guns are the leading cause of death among children is challenged by data that shows motor vehicle deaths are more prevalent. Advocates for gun control continue to push this claim, but evidence suggests that banning firearms may not lead to the intended outcomes of reducing violence or saving lives.