Firearm Deaths - Ages 65+

Firearm Deaths - Ages 65+ in United States

United States

Firearm violence is a significant public health issue in the United States. In 2020, firearms were the most common method of suicide in the U.S., accounting for 53% of all suicide deaths. This issue is of particular concern for older adults, who have higher overall suicide rates and are significantly more likely to commit suicide by firearm: 70% of suicide deaths among adults ages 65 and older in 2018 involved a firearm. The firearm homicide rate is also on the rise. In 2020, 79% of homicides used a firearm, a 35% increase from the year before and a record high since 1994.

The firearm death rate is higher among: 

• Older men, who have a rate 10 times that of older women.
• Individuals ages 85 and older compared with those ages 65-74.
• White adults compared with Asian older adults.
• Counties with higher levels of poverty compared with counties with less poverty.

Low-income and racial/ethnic minority communities were also disproportionately impacted by the firearm homicide spike in 2020. In particular, Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations living at the highest poverty levels experienced outsize increases in firearm deaths.

Firearm deaths are preventable, and a lot can be done at the individual, community and policy levels to reduce the firearm death rate.

Community- and policy-level initiatives are key. Community violence interventions can offer conflict resolution, mental health and social support services targeted at the specific needs of a local community, and they are most effective when partnered with local government agencies that can expand their resources and reach. State-level policy recommendations include strengthening firearm legislation, particularly background check and permit laws.

Improving access to mental health resources can help prevent firearm suicide. Examples include expanding coverage for mental health care, incentivizing providers to work in underserved areas and investing in community activities and education that promote healthy relationships, skills and norms.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support for people in distress 24/7, everywhere in the U.S. Their website offers additional forms of crisis support, and the previous National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1-800-273-TALK(8255)) is still active and usable.

Healthy People 2030 has several violence prevention objectives related to firearms, including: 

• Reducing firearm-related deaths. 
• Reducing nonfatal firearm-related injuries.
• Reducing homicides. 

Davis, Ari, Lisa Geller, Rose Kim, Silvia Villarreal, Alexander McCourt, Janel Cubbage, and Cassandra Crifasi. 2022. “A Year in Review: 2020 Gun Deaths in the U.S.” Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2022-05/2020-gun-deaths-in-the-us-4-28-2022-b.pdf.

Kegler, Scott R., Thomas R. Simon, Marissa L. Zwald, May S. Chen, James A. Mercy, Christopher M. Jones, Melissa C. Mercado-Crespo, et al. 2022. “Vital Signs?: Changes in Firearm Homicide and Suicide Rates — United States, 2019–2020.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 71 (19). https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7119e1.

Lee, Lois K., Eric W. Fleegler, Caitlin Farrell, Elorm Avakame, Saranya Srinivasan, David Hemenway, and Michael C. Monuteaux. 2017. “Firearm Laws and Firearm Homicides: A Systematic Review.” JAMA Internal Medicine 177 (1): 106. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.7051.

Price, James H., and Jagdish Khubchandani. 2021. “Firearm Suicides in the Elderly: A Narrative Review and Call for Action.” Journal of Community Health 46 (5): 1050–58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-021-00964-7.