IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Government statistics released this week claiming that 77 minors in the U.S. were killed by unintentional gun discharges last year significantly understate the scope of an enduring public health problem.
A review of shootings nationwide by The Associated Press and USA TODAY Network found that at least 141 deaths of minors were attributed to unintentional or accidental shootings in 2015 – 83 percent higher than what the Centers for Disease Control reported.
Advocates for stricter laws and new technology meant to keep guns away from children argue that many of the deaths are preventable, and the undercount is significant because it can skew the public policy debate. Lobbyists for the firearms industry, including the National Rifle Association, cite the CDC statistics to argue that such deaths are so rare that voluntary education – not additional laws or regulations – are needed.
CDC officials have acknowledged that their statistics are low because they rely on how coroners classify the fatalities on death certificates. Some coroners rule deaths in which one child unintentionally shoots another as a homicide – rather than an accidental discharge – because they fit the definition of being killed by another. They also can classify them as undetermined if the intent is unclear – for example, if it’s not certain whether a minor committed suicide or accidentally shot himself.
AP and USA TODAY Network counted fatal shootings that were declared accidental or unintentional by investigating agencies. The media organizations’ review did not include deaths where guns were fired on purpose, such as cases of stray bullets or celebratory gunfire.