CONSEQUENCES

Children’s Accidental Gun Deaths Undercounted

Also fewer than 20 states have laws holding adults liable.

The tragic accidental shooting deaths of children by children often end up going uncounted in gun statistics, according to an investigation published in Sunday’s New York Times. Accidental firearm deaths occurred roughly twice as often as records indicate due to differences in the way the deaths are reported. Fewer than 20 states have laws that hold adults accountable for children using their firearms. Additionally, the Times investigation found that many of the accidental deaths were related to the lure of a gun by children—especially by boys, who accounted for nearly all the shooters and 80 percent of the victims. But even with a proper count of victims, accidental shooting of children by children still falls far behind intentional shooting by adults.