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Abstract
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Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 17 years, with about 3% of these fatalities due to firearm injuries.
About half of these unintentional firearm deaths happened while children were home. Nearly two-thirds of the children killed were playing with the weapon or showing it to one another when it went off, according to a recent analysis of data collected by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on about 1300 unintentional firearm fatalities between 2003 and 2021. Typically, children found these unlocked weapons stored loaded in nightstands, under a mattress or pillow, or on a bed.
Storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition helps protect against fatal injuries in children. Clinicians and policymakers should therefore prioritize "partnering with parents, caregivers, and firearm owners to promote secure firearm storage," the researchers wrote in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Language: en |