Freedom:
Every year, 500 children and teenagers are killed from gunfire and another 7,500 kids are hospitalized from gun injuries, according to a new study from doctors who reviewed a decade’s worth of hospital pediatric records.
The study on gunshot wounds (GSWs) is online at the
American Academy of Pediatrics, and here is its conclusion:
Hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths for children with GSWs are increasing. Currently, over 7,500 children are annually hospitalized for GSWs, including over 500 in-hospital deaths. While recent policy proposals to limit military-style semi-automatic assault weapons are important, handguns remain the leading injurious agent and may be a more efficacious target. Household gun ownership and safety practices vary widely by state. There was a significant relationship between %-household gun ownership and %-GSWs occurring in the home. The relationship was dose-dependent with safety measures (any
As
Rebecca Leber of
ThinkProgress notes:
Other studies confirm the link between the rate of gun ownership, and lax laws, to the rate of gun violence. But fewer than 20 states make adults criminally liable for allowing children access to guns, as others have moved to weaken regulations.
Of course, none of this matters to the ghouls of the gun industry and their unofficial PR wing at the NRA. The human toll is but collateral damage.