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In a review of national firearm data spanning more than 20 years, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have identified alarming trends regarding increasing rates of firearm-related deaths among some of America s youngest residents.
According to lead researcher Archie Bleyer, M.D., the rate of unintentional firearm deaths in children ages 1 - 4 increased exponentially at an average annual percent of 4.9 between 1999 and 2018, with the greatest impact among non-Hispanic Black and White children. This rate is more than eight times higher than any other highly developed country worldwide. What is perhaps most distressing about these findings, is that nearly 90% of these instances took place in or near the victims home, and 100% of the events were preventable, says Bleyer, a clinical research professor in the Department of Radiation Medicine, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, OHSU School of Medicine.