In a sobering revelation, more people in the United States died by gun suicide in 2023 than any other year on record, surpassing deaths from gun homicides, accidental shootings, and police shootings combined. A new report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention highlights that firearms were involved in 58% of all gun deaths in 2023. The report, based on finalized data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows that 27,300 individuals died by gun suicide in 2023.
Overall, the CDC’s Wonder database recorded 46,728 gun-related fatalities in 2023. While gun homicides have decreased for the second consecutive year, dropping from 20,958 in 2021 to 17,927 in 2023, the number remains alarmingly high, ranking as the fifth highest on record.
Geographical and Demographic Disparities
Rural states with lower populations reported the highest rates of gun suicides. Wyoming led with approximately 19.9 gun suicide deaths per 100,000 residents, a stark contrast to Massachusetts, which had the lowest rate at about 2.1 per 100,000. Rose Kim, the report’s lead author and assistant policy adviser at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, noted, “People are just using guns when it comes to considering suicide because it’s highly lethal and it’s easily accessible. That’s really a deadly combination, and it’s really driving the suicide epidemic in our country.”
Suicide has been the leading category of gun deaths in the U.S. for nearly three decades. Despite this, public attention and legislative efforts have predominantly focused on gun homicides and mass shootings.
Legislative Responses and Policy Changes
In response to gun violence, both Republican and Democratic states have enacted various gun policies this year. These range from permitless carry in North Carolina to a ban on “red flag” laws in Texas, and bans on assault-style weapons in Rhode Island and rapid-fire devices in Oregon. Recently, the Michigan Senate passed legislation banning bump stocks and ghost guns. Washington state is set to require gun buyers to obtain a five-year permit starting in May 2027.
Alabama’s Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill outlawing gun conversion devices, making Alabama the 26th state to do so. In April, she also approved a measure allowing individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts to surrender firearms to licensed dealers.
Expert Opinions and Public Health Interventions
According to Rose Kim, some state policies, such as safe storage laws, firearm purchaser licensing, and extreme risk protection orders, can help reduce gun deaths. “It’s also important to recognize that there are public health interventions, evidence-based, that can really address gun suicides and save lives,” she emphasized.
The report also highlighted that men were nearly seven times more likely than women to die by gun suicide in 2023. The highest rates were among men aged 70 and older.
Impact on Youth and Racial Disparities
For the fourth consecutive year, firearms were the leading cause of death among youth under 17, with 2,581 deaths recorded in 2023. Among those aged 10 to 19, gun suicide numbers remained relatively stable, with 1,252 deaths in 2023 compared to 1,238 in 2022. However, racial and ethnic disparities were evident.
Since 2014, the gun suicide rate for Black youth aged 10 to 19 more than tripled, rising from 1 death per 100,000 people to 3.3 in 2023. In contrast, the rate for white youth increased from 2.6 to 3 per 100,000 people.
Gun suicides among Hispanic youth in the same age group nearly doubled from 2014 to 2023, according to CDC data.
The findings underscore the complex and multifaceted nature of gun violence in the United States, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive strategies that address both the availability of firearms and the underlying mental health issues contributing to suicide rates.
As the nation grapples with these challenges, the focus on effective policy measures and public health interventions could play a crucial role in reversing these troubling trends.