The incidence of mass shootings in the USA continues to increase; more than 45 000
total gun deaths occurred in 2020 alone, the most on record for years with full data
available.1 These statistics highlight increasing gun violence, one of the primary
contributors to blood shortages. Patients with gunshot wounds are 5 times more likely
to require a blood transfusion and receive 10 times more blood components than patients
with traumatic injuries that are not gunshot wounds, equating to millions of US dollars
in blood acquisition costs.