Black children in the U.S. are 11 times more likely to die from guns than their white counterparts, according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Researchers of the study examined data on U.S. pediatric firearm deaths and disparities from 2018 to 2021. They found firearms to now be the leading cause of death among children and adolescents, surpassing car accidents.
According to the study, there was a 41.6 percent increase in the total firearm death rate from 2018 to 2021. Black children were disproportionately impacted by the rise, the study found.
Among the children who died by firearms in 2021, 49.9 percent were Black. Black children made up over 67 percent of firearm homicides, while white children accounted for 78.4 percent of firearm suicides.
Firearm purchases skyrocketed during the pandemic, which may account for the increase in gun violence, according to a study in Springer Nature. About 30 million children in the U.S. live in households with guns, per the study.
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