When reports say a child died from a ‘firearm assault,’ it means something horrific — that a child was intentionally shot and killed, most often by a parent or other family member.
68% of children killed by guns are murdered by their parents.
That’s what ‘firearm assault’ really means.
Domestic violence involving firearms has profound and far-reaching impacts on children and adolescents well beyond the immediate physical danger. According to KFF, exposure to gun violence through community shootings, school incidents, or domestic settings is associated with elevated risk of mental health disorders, substance use, and educational disruption (KFF, 2024). Many children who witness firearm violence report symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and attention difficulties even if they are not directly injured.
In terms of mortality, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States, surpassing motor vehicle crashes. From 2020 to 2021, more children ages 1–17 died from gun-related injuries than from any other type of injury or illness (KFF, 2024). This tragic statistic underscores how pervasive firearm risk is to youth. The rise in firearm deaths over the past decade has been accelerated by increases both in gun assaults and in firearm suicides. (KFF, 2024).
Children living in homes where intimate partner violence occurs are especially vulnerable. When a domestic partner or family member has access to a firearm, the risk of lethal outcomes increases dramatically. Studies show that more than half of domestic or intimate-partner homicides involve guns. For children under 13 who die by firearm, many of those incidents happen in the home, and a significant proportion are tied to domestic or family violence. The threat to children is thus not only from direct assault but from the broader environment of danger, fear, and instability.
Survivors of firearm injury also face long-term burdens. KFF notes that children and teens who are shot may require repeated hospitalizations, extended rehabilitation, and ongoing mental health care. Many survivors describe the lasting toll, including disability, chronic pain, psychological trauma, and social or educational setbacks. Moreover, even witnessing firearm violence without being physically harmed can impair school performance, increase absenteeism, and produce behavior or attention problems.
Armed intimate partners increase risk of homicide among pregnant and perinatal people
Turning to pregnant and perinatal populations, a study published by Society for Maternal -Fetal Medicine reveals a startling shift in the profile of maternal mortality in the U.S.: homicide and suicide are now the leading causes of death among pregnant and postpartum people (Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, 2025). Over an 18-year period, among 20,421 maternal deaths, 2,293 (11 %) were due to homicide or suicide; of these, 1,407 (61 %) were homicides and 886 (39 %) were suicides. Importantly, firearms were involved in 55 % of these violent deaths.
The intersection of domestic violence, firearms access, and pregnancy is especially alarming. Pregnant and postpartum individuals often face heightened risk from intimate partner violence, a risk that can be magnified when the partner or an abuser holds a firearm. The SMFM researchers note that many existing definitions of maternal mortality exclude homicide or suicide, which underestimates the true fatal burden of violence in this population. Their findings also indicate that stronger firearm legislation correlates with fewer maternal deaths, underscoring how policy can directly save lives.
In sum, the evidence from both the KFF analysis and the SMFM study converges on a disturbing reality: children, adolescents, and pregnant or perinatal persons bear a serious and often underappreciated burden from firearm-related violence. For youth, this includes direct risks of injury and death, as well as long-term mental health, educational, and developmental consequences. For pregnant people, the data now document that violence — particularly with firearms — is a major contributor to maternal mortality, surpassing many traditional medical causes. These insights underscore the urgent need for policy, prevention, and clinical interventions that address domestic violence, reduce gun access in high-risk settings, and bolster protective measures for vulnerable populations.
To protect families from preventable firearm tragedies, comprehensive policy action is essential. Evidence-based measures include removing firearms from homes; mandating safe firearm storage in homes to prevent unauthorized access by children or abusive partners; and expanding extreme risk protection orders (“red flag” laws) that allow courts to temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others. In addition, raising the standards for firearm ownership to include denying firearm purchase or possession to individuals with convictions for any violence-related misdemeanors or crimes involving drug or alcohol abuse would align ownership standards with known risk factors for lethal behavior. These measures, paired with investment in trauma-informed mental health care and survivor support, would significantly reduce preventable deaths and promote safer, healthier homes for children, teens, and pregnant people alike.
