Guns are now the number one cause of death among young people in the United States, overtaking car accidents as their biggest killer, a 2020 analysis has revealed.
More than 4,300 Americans aged 19 and under died of gun-related injuries in 2020.
It is the first time guns have been the leading cause of death for this age group, according to a study by researchers from the University of Michigan, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine as a letter to the editor.
The analysis was based on recent mortality data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
From 2019 to 2020, firearm-related deaths from "suicide, homicide, unintentional, and undetermined" causes among children and adolescents increased at a rate of 29.5 per cent -- more than twice as high as the general population, Jason E Goldstick, Rebecca M Cunningham, and Patrick M Carter wrote.
"Although the new data are consistent with other evidence that firearm violence has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the reasons for the increase are unclear, and it cannot be assumed that firearm-related mortality will later revert to pre-pandemic levels," the researchers wrote.
"Regardless, the increasing firearm-related mortality reflects a longer-term trend and shows that we continue to fail to protect our youth from a preventable cause of death."
US road rage deaths also spiked during the pandemic, gun control group Everytown for Gun Violence said in a report earlier this month.
The report came after at least four major shootings broke out across the United States over the Easter weekend.
One shooting at a party in Pittsburgh left two teenagers dead and several others injured last Sunday.
On Friday, at least four people — including a 12-year-old girl — were shot when a gunman unleashed a flurry of bullets in Washington, leading to lockdowns at several schools.
The injured were expected to recover and the suspect was found dead hours later.
Earlier this month, another mass shooting in Sacramento left six people dead and 12 others wounded.
ABC/Reuters
