A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals a troubling trend: states with more permissive gun laws have experienced a significant rise in pediatric deaths due to firearm injuries from 2011 to 2023, unlike states with stricter regulations.
Dr. Maya Haasz, an emergency medicine physician and researcher at the University of Colorado, pointed out the urgent issue of gun-related fatalities among children. She noted that a child or teen is killed by a firearm in the United States every 2 hours and 48 minutes, according to a 2021 policy brief authored by her and her colleagues.
The findings of this new study offer a potential pathway to mitigating these tragic losses. Haasz expressed optimism about the research, stating that it opens up conversations about preventing firearm injuries in children.
“This doesn’t mean we should change all our laws at once,” she said, suggesting that a more strategic approach to evaluate effective laws could lead to enhanced safety measures.
The study focuses on trends observed after the landmark 2010 Supreme Court case, McDonald vs. Chicago, which mandated that local and state governments adhere to the Second Amendment while still enabling regulation of firearm ownership.
Following this decision, many states began altering their gun laws, leading to a spectrum of legislation across the nation.
For example, states like Texas and Louisiana adopted more permissive regulations, facilitating easier access to firearms and promoting laws related to concealed carry and stand-your-ground policies. In stark contrast, states such as California tightened their regulations with measures such as safety training requirements and mandatory background checks.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and one of the authors of the study, categorized states into three groups based on their gun laws: most permissive, permissive, and least permissive.
From 2011 to 2023, the study looked at firearm-related deaths in children aged 17 and under, comparing the figures to those from the decade prior. The results were alarming. States with the most permissive gun laws encountered over 6,000 more deaths among children than expected based on previous trends.
“We would have predicted 9,056 deaths in 13 years, when in fact, there were 15,085 deaths,” Faust revealed, marking a substantial 67% relative increase. The excess mortality included both homicides and suicides.
States classified as permissive also witnessed a surge in pediatric deaths, tallying an additional 1,500 fatalities not accounted for in earlier statistics.
Together, these two groupings resulted in over 7,000 additional pediatric firearm deaths, averaging more than 500 deaths annually. Faust emphasized the preventable nature of these tragic outcomes, stating, “These are children who should be alive. They should be around. These are not deaths that should have occurred. They are preventable.”
The study adds significant evidence connecting lenient gun laws to higher rates of pediatric gun fatalities. Dr. Chethan Sathya, a pediatric surgeon and director of the Center for Gun Violence Prevention at Northwell Health, reiterated the importance of the findings, highlighting that a closer examination of the specific laws in various states is now crucial.
“What really worked in the states that had lower deaths?” Sathya asked, pointing towards the next steps in research that should focus on identifying effective legislative measures.
For instance, prior research has indicated that “child access prevention laws,” which make it illegal to allow children access to firearms, have been successful in reducing accidental injuries and suicides among minors. Haasz elaborated that these laws typically require firearm owners to secure their weapons, potentially saving lives.
Investigating specific laws could not only help in reducing firearm deaths among children but also address the larger issue of non-fatal gunshot injuries in this demographic.
As the discussion surrounding gun control continues, this study may serve as a critical reference point for policymakers aiming to craft legislation that balances Second Amendment rights with the imperative of protecting children from unnecessary harm and death due to firearms.
image source from：https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/11/nx-s1-5429711/gun-deaths-state-laws-jama-pediatrics
