U.S. Department of Justice, Office Of Justice Programs, Innovation - Partnerships - Safer Neighborhoods
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Serving Children, Families, and Communities
OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book logo jump over products navigation bar
OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book logoAbout SSBFrequently Asked QuestionsPublicationsData Analysis ToolsNational Data SetsOther ResourcesAsk a Question

Juvenile Population Characteristics
Juveniles as Victims
Overview
Related FAQs
Related Publications
Related Links
Data Analysis Tools
Juveniles as Offenders
Juvenile Justice System Structure & Process
Law Enforcement & Juvenile Crime
Juveniles in Court
Juveniles on Probation
Juveniles in Corrections
Juvenile Reentry & Aftercare
Special Topics
Data Snapshot
Statistical Briefing Book Home

OJJDP logo

Link to Printer-priendly versionPrinter-friendly
Juveniles as Victims
Violent Crime Victimization
Q: What proportion of youth are killed with a firearm?
A: Two-thirds (66%) of all youth homicide victims in 2020 were killed with a firearm.

[ Text only ]  [ CSV file ]

  • The proportion of youth homicide victims killed by a firearm has been on the rise. In 2013, for example, less than half (46%) of all youth homicide victims were killed by a firearm; by 2020, this proportion increased to 66%.
  • In 2020, firearms were used in 29% of the homicides of youth under age 12 but in 88% of the homicides of youth ages 12–17.
  • Older youth are more likely to be killed by a firearm than younger juveniles. Since the early 1990s, about 4 of every 5 murder victims ages 15–17 were killed with a firearm in any given year, while about 1 of every 10 murder victims under age 6 were killed with a firearm.
Internet citation: OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book. Online. Available: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/victims/qa02314.asp?qaDate=2020. Released on December 09, 2021.

Adapted from Puzzanchera, C., Chamberlin, G. and Kang, W. (2021). Easy Access to the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. Available on-line at: https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezashr/.

Data Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Supplementary Homicide Reports for the years 1980–2020 [machine-readable data files]. Washington, D.C.: FBI.

 

USA.gov | Privacy | Policies & Disclaimers | FOIA | Site Map | Ask a Question | OJJDP Home
A component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice