Guns surpass motor vehicles as top cause of death for U.S. children: What parents should know

Daniel J. Flannery Headshot

HealthlineDaniel J. Flannery, the Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Professor and director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education, discussed a new, grim national statistic: For the first time, guns have overtaken car crashes as the top cause of death for children. “More young people are carrying guns, guns are more easily accessible to young people, and they are using them more frequently to settle disputes,” he said. “Kids have spent more time out of school, isolated from support systems, not interacting with others, so they lack important connections to adults, mentors, and peers.”