Enumerating the Toll Guns Take on American Lives

• In the last five years, more than 148,000 people have been killed by a firearm in America, 14,500 of them children and teens.
• 29,569 people were killed in America by gunfire in one year, according to the most recent data, which averages to 81 people a day -- or a person killed by a gun every 18 minutes.
• The U.S. has the highest rate of deaths from gunfire in the industrialized world.

• 2,852 children and teenagers were killed in America by gunfire in one year, according to the most recent data, which averages to 8 children and teenagers a day -- or one child or teen killed by a gun every 3 hours.
• Every three days, we lose a classroom of children as a result of gun violence.
• The number of children killed by gunfire in a year has been reduced by 16% in the last six years.
• The overall firearm-related death rate among U.S. children under the age of 15 was nearly 12 times higher than among children in 25 other industrialized countries combined.

• In 2005, there were 69,825 people injured by a firearm in America -- that's more than 191 injuries per day. And 23% of the injuries (16,298) were incurred by children and teens.

• 34% of children in the United States (representing more than 22 million children in 11 million homes) live in homes with at least one firearm. In 69% of homes with firearms and children, more than one firearm is present. Among homes with children and firearms, 40% had at least one unlocked firearm and 13% kept their unlocked firearm loaded or stored with ammunition.

• On average during each of the last 10 years, 1,076 children/teens committed suicide with a firearm each year; more than 115 each year were younger than 15-years-old.

• Two-thirds of the 41 students involved in 37 school-shooting incidents from 1974-2000 got their guns from their own home or that of a relative.