Gun Deaths by State 2026

There is a painfully high amount of gun-related violence in the United States annually. Some deaths are point-blank murders, many are suicides, and many gun-related deaths happen by accident due to negligent behavior or children getting their hands on weapons and firing a shot without knowing any better. Many states in the U.S. do not have strong firearm laws or strict gun ownership rules. As a result, an abundance of gun-related injuries occur in states where gun laws aren’t strong.

The CDC’s 2024 firearm mortality data record 44,447 firearm deaths across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Total firearm mortality includes deaths from suicide, homicide, unintentional shootings, and other firearm-related causes.

Suicide is a major contributor to firearm mortality, but total firearm deaths also include homicides and unintentional shootings. A state’s overall firearm death rate should therefore not be interpreted as its firearm homicide rate.

For a separate comparison of deaths by suicide, including methods other than firearms, see suicide rates by state.

Firearm deaths per year are not just reflections of citizens failing to get along or respect each other’s rights to life. Firearms have also been involved in the attempted assassinations of 11 U.S. presidents. Bullet wounds killed four presidents. Three handguns and one rifle were the weapons of choice for shooting, injuring, and ultimately killing four U.S. presidents (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy).

What percentage of Americans own guns? The United States has the highest percentage of gun ownership worldwide. There are 120 firearms per 100 people in the U.S., with 30% of Americans owning at least one gun. The majority of gun owners own more than one firearm. According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of gun owners own more than one firearm, and 29% own five or more.

The firearm mortality figures below come from the CDC’s 2024 state data, on a page dated March 3, 2026. Rates are deaths per 100,000 residents and are age-adjusted to account for differences in states’ age distributions. State rankings below exclude the District of Columbia and distinguish population-adjusted rates from total numbers of deaths.

States with the Highest Firearm Death Rates

The five states with the highest age-adjusted firearm death rates in 2024, in deaths per 100,000 residents, were:

1. Mississippi: 28.0
2. New Mexico: 26.6
3. Alaska: 24.4
4. Alabama: 23.7
5. Wyoming: 23.4

Rankings by total deaths were different. Texas had the largest number of firearm deaths in 2024, with 4,389, followed by Florida with 3,191 and California with 2,853.

States with the Lowest Firearm Death Rates

The five states with the lowest age-adjusted firearm death rates in 2024, in deaths per 100,000 residents, were:

1. Hawaii: 3.7
2. Massachusetts: 3.8
3. New Jersey: 4.0
4. New York: 4.4
5. Rhode Island: 4.6

Rhode Island had the smallest total number of firearm deaths in 2024, with 55. Hawaii followed with 56, Vermont with 76, and North Dakota with 95. These were the only four states with fewer than 100 firearm deaths that year. Delaware recorded 123 deaths.