CDC: Firearm deaths show historic increase

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vital Signs report, there has been a 35 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 in the firearm homicide rate, the highest in more than 25 years.

CDC states that 79 percent of homicides involved a firearm, and 53 percent in suicides in 2020, with disparities by race/ethnicity and poverty level widening.

It is reported firearm homicide rates are highest among young, male, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people. Still, firearm homicide rates increased across all age groups. And firearm suicide increased among non-Hispanic AI/AN males aged 10 to 44.

Key findings for firearm homicides:

Rates for both males and females increased, notably in males.
Highest rates in non-Hispanic and Black.
Rates increased all across the country, especially in counties with higher poverty levels.

Key findings for firearm suicides:

The rate remained between 2019 and 2020.
The rates increased among non-Hispanic AI/AN males between the ages of 10-44.
Higher rates in areas with the highest poverty levels and lowest in areas with low poverty levels.
Non-metro and rural areas experienced the highest rates.

CDC explains that a comprehensive approach should be applied to reduce firearm-related deaths, including strategies focusing on underlying conditions.