Fri Apr 25 15:10:24 UTC 2025: ## Firearms Emerge as Leading Cause of Death for Young Adults in US

**Washington D.C.** – A recent statement by Moms Demand Action highlighting firearms as the leading cause of death for young Americans aged 18 to 25 has been verified as accurate by multiple sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and leading experts.

Following a shooting at Florida State University last week, the advocacy group emphasized the severity of gun violence among college-aged individuals. While the CDC does not rank firearm deaths as a leading *cause* of death due to its categorization across homicide, suicide, and accidental injury, their data confirms firearms are the leading *mechanism* of death in this age group.

In 2023, firearms accounted for 8,086 deaths among 18- to 25-year-olds, exceeding deaths attributed to drug poisoning. Although unintentional injuries were the leading cause of death overall in this age bracket (14,238 deaths), a significant portion of these involved firearms. Further breakdown reveals that within firearm-related deaths, homicides (4,651) surpassed suicides (3,158).

While the CDC categorizes deaths by broader causes, experts like Daniel Webster of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and Veronica Pear of the University of California Davis School of Medicine affirm the accuracy of Moms Demand Action’s statement, emphasizing that “gun violence” encompasses both homicides and suicides. This aligns with practices in other countries like Canada and Australia.

The debate around including firearm suicides in the definition of “gun violence” persists, with gun-rights advocates raising concerns. However, the available data consistently points to firearms as the leading mechanism of death for young adults in the United States. This underscores the urgent need for continued research and effective interventions to address this significant public health crisis. While school shootings contribute to the overall number of firearm deaths, they represent a relatively small portion of the total.

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