A Moral Outrage: One American Child or Teen Killed by Gunfire Nearly Every 3 Hours; La. Ranks Eighth in Firearm Deaths of Children, Teens

U.S. Newswire › January 31, 2005

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The horrific death toll from gunfire in the United States included 2,867 children and teens in 2002 -- nearly eight deaths a day and 55 a week, according to a report released today by the Children's Defense Fund (CDF). Firearms are the second leading cause of death among 10- to 19-year olds, second only to motor vehicle accidents. There were 71 victims under five years old. From 1979 through 2002, a total of 95,761 children and teens have been killed by firearms in America.

CDF published the latest figures today in "Protect Children, Not Guns," an annual report that analyzes data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report covers 2002, the most recent year for which national figures are available. CDF analysts broke down the data by state, race, age and manner of death. All the figures are available on the CDF Web site at http:// www.childrensdefense.org.

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A Moral Outrage: One American Child or Teen Killed by Gunfire Nearly Every 3 Hours; La. Ranks Eighth in Firearm Deaths of Children, Teens

In Louisiana, 100 children and teens died of gun violence in 2002, the eighth highest gun death toll in the nation and an increase fr...

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