Gun-related suicides in the United States hit another record high in 2023, with disturbing surges among Black and Hispanic youth. According to a report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, gun suicides accounted for 58% of the nation’s 46,728 firearm deaths—one every 11 minutes. While overall gun homicides declined, suicides by firearm reached the highest levels ever recorded for the third year in a row.
National data show a 245% increase in gun suicide rates among Black youth ages 10–19 since 2014, with an 81% rise since 2019. Hispanic youth in the same age group saw gun suicide rates double in the past decade. These increases flipped a historical pattern: in 2023, Black youth gun suicide rates were higher than among white youth for the second consecutive year, as white youth rates fell by 6% since 2019. Black and Hispanic female youth also recorded striking increases—up 65% and 25%, respectively, since 2019.
Rural states suffered higher gun suicide rates, with Wyoming topping the list at ten times the rate of Massachusetts. Guns were the leading cause of death for young people ages 1–17 for the fourth straight year. The report’s authors emphasize that “suicide is a growing crisis” and guns now drive that trend, especially in minority communities facing rising gun ownership rates. Public health experts are calling for targeted prevention strategies, improved access to mental health care, and programs that delay or reduce gun access among those at risk.
See: “New Report Highlights U.S. 2023 Gun Deaths: Suicide by Firearm at Record Levels for Third Straight Year” (June 26, 2025)
