Debunking the Lie: “Guns Are the #1 Cause of Death Among Children”
How Anti-Gun Activists Distort Data to Push Chapter 135 and Mislead the Public
One of the most widely repeated — and most intentionally misleading — claims by gun control advocates today is this:
“Firearms are now the leading cause of death among children in the United States.”
You’ll see it on social media. You’ll hear it from advocacy groups like Giffords, the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, and the Bloomberg-funded Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. You’ll even see it in public service announcements by the Ad Council.
But here’s the truth:
🔍 This statistic is deeply deceptive — and designed to create fear, not inform the public.
📊 The Distortion: Expanding the Definition of “Child”
When most Americans hear “children,” they reasonably think of toddlers, elementary schoolers — maybe up to age 12. But that’s not how anti-gun researchers use the term.
Groups like the Bloomberg School of Public Health and studies published in JAMA Pediatrics regularly define “children” as ages 0 to 17 — and sometimes even up to age 24.
That matters. Why?
Because according to CDC WISQARS Data (2021-2023), over 70% of all firearm-related deaths in the 0–17 age group occur among 15–17-year-olds — the same age range statistically associated with gang activity, drug trafficking, and violent street crime. (CDC Data)
These are not random childhood accidents. They are overwhelmingly homicides linked to urban criminal violence — and yet they are used to emotionally manipulate the public into thinking toddlers and 2nd graders are being gunned down in playgrounds across America.
🚫 The Real Leading Causes of Death for Actual Children (0–9)
When we isolate the real child age group — ages 0 to 9, as even the Bloomberg School itself often uses in internal breakdowns — a completely different picture emerges:
| Cause of Death | U.S. Children Ages 1–9 (2021) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Accidents | ~1,015 deaths | CDC WISQARS |
| Drownings | ~800 deaths | CDC |
| Firearms (All Types) | Fewer than 300 deaths | CDC WISQARS |
| Firearms (Unintentional) | 20–40 deaths | [Johns Hopkins IRP] |
The actual leading causes of death for young children are accidents, not firearms. And yet those numbers are intentionally buried by advocacy groups who lump these children in with teenagers more likely to be perpetrators or victims of violent crime.
📰 Journalist David Mastio Exposes the Lie
On June 11, 2025, award-winning journalist David Mastio published a revealing investigation in the Kansas City Star, titled:
“I Tried to Solve the Great Gun Mystery at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. It Didn’t Go Well.” (link placeholder)
Mastio asked a simple, reasonable question:
“What is the leading cause of death for children ages 1–9?”
He first contacted the Bloomberg School’s Center for Gun Violence Solutions, which was behind the claim that “guns are the #1 killer of children and teens ages 1–17.”
Instead of answering, they ignored him.
Then they refused to comment.
Eventually, they had him escorted off campus.
He only received the answer after contacting a different department — the Center for Injury Research and Policy, which finally admitted:
No, firearms are NOT the leading cause of death for young children. Not even close.
📉 Violent Crime Trends and Juvenile Homicide
From 2011 to 2023 — the time frame many of these studies cite — the U.S. experienced massive social shifts:
- The murder rate rose by 50% from 2014 to 2020 (FBI UCR)
- Street violence and juvenile homicide spiked in urban areas, especially among 15–17-year-olds
- Simultaneously, criminal justice reforms reduced enforcement for juvenile crimes in many cities
Despite these realities, groups like Giffords and Everytown continued pushing the child-death narrative to justify sweeping gun control laws — like Chapter 135 in Massachusetts — that mostly impact law-abiding citizens, not criminals.
⚖️ Using McDonald v. Chicago as a Scapegoat
One recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics (June 2025) even claimed that the McDonald v. Chicago (2010) Supreme Court decision — which struck down handgun bans — somehow caused a rise in “child” firearm deaths.
But this is absurd for two reasons:
- McDonald reaffirmed an individual’s right to keep arms under the Second Amendment — especially in the home.
- The ruling had little practical effect outside Chicago, and lower courts often undermined its impact for years.
In fact, after New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022) — which struck down “may-issue” concealed carry laws — the national murder rate actually dropped:
- 2022: 6.6 per 100,000
- 2023: 5.7 per 100,000
- 2024 (1st half): Down another 22.7% (FBI Preliminary Data)
Yet no public health expert is crediting the Second Amendment for saving lives — though they were quick to blame it for phantom deaths.
🧱 Why This Matters: Chapter 135 and the Politics of Fear
The false claim that “guns are the #1 killer of kids” is being used to justify sweeping legislation like Chapter 135 in Massachusetts, which:
- Requires mandatory firearm registration
- Redefines non-residents and junior hunters as criminals
- Treats peaceful gun owners like felons, while doing nothing to disarm gangs or reduce street violence
These laws are not based on truth or data — they are driven by emotion, funded by political billionaires, and built on propaganda.
✅ What You Can Do
- Challenge the narrative. Share this article. Demand real data.
- Support the repeal of Chapter 135 at the ballot box in November 2026.
- Join The Civil Rights Coalition — and help restore truth, law, and liberty in Massachusetts.
📚 Sources Cited:
- CDC WISQARS Injury Mortality Reports: https://wisqars.cdc.gov
- Kansas City Star, David Mastio, June 11, 2025
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions
- JAMA Pediatrics, June 2025 Edition
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports: https://ucr.fbi.gov
- National Safety Council, Injury Facts Database
- U.S. Supreme Court: McDonald v. Chicago (2010), Bruen v. NYSRPA (2022)