Stronger state gun laws linked to lower rates of pediatric in-home firearm homicides

Stronger state gun laws linked to lower rates of pediatric in-home firearm homicides | Image Credit: © SianStock - stock.adobe.com.

Children and adolescents in states with stronger gun control laws experience lower rates of in-home firearm homicides, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado.^1,2

The study, Killed in Their Own Homes: The Rise of Pediatric Firearm In-Home Homicides and Association with State Firearm Laws, used data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and the US Census Bureau to evaluate firearm-related homicides of children and adolescents between 2005 and 2021. Analyses were restricted to 14 states that contributed continuous data during the 17-year study period.

“Given evidence that stronger state firearm laws are associated with fewer pediatric in-home homicides, future advocacy should seek to expand gun laws, including extreme risk protection orders which may prevent these cases by removing firearms from high-risk households,” said study author Jordan Rook, MD.

Study design and methods

Researchers conducted a repeated cross-sectional analysis of pediatric firearm-related homicides, focusing on in-home incidents. Rates of firearm homicides were compared with the strength of state firearm laws as assessed by the Giffords Law Center Gun Law Scorecard. Spearman’s Rank Correlation coefficient was used to evaluate associations.

Findings

Between 2005 and 2021, there were 3,289 firearm-related homicides across the 14 states, including:

• 2,633 (80.0%) among teenagers aged 13 to 17 years
• 656 (20.0%) among children aged 12 years and younger

Of these, 905 (27.5%) occurred at home, including 17.4% of teenage homicides and 68.0% of child homicides. In-home firearm homicides were more often associated with child abuse (11.2% vs 1.2%) and intimate partner violence (20.8% vs 4.3%) compared with other firearm homicides (p<0.001 for both).

The incidence of firearm-related homicide ranged from 0.69 per 100,000 children and adolescents in 2013 to 1.82 per 100,000 in 2021. For in-home homicides, the incidence ranged from 0.18 per 100,000 in 2010 to 0.48 per 100,000 in 2020. Massachusetts had the lowest incidence of in-home firearm-related homicides (<0.10 deaths per 100,000), while South Carolina had the highest (0.49 deaths per 100,000).

Gun law associations

Researchers found that stronger state firearm laws correlated with lower rates of pediatric in-home homicides (ρ=0.72; p=0.004). Among the 14 states studied, extreme risk protection order (ERPO) laws—also known as red flag laws—were enacted in 5 of the 7 states with the lowest rates of in-home homicide. By contrast, only 2 of the 7 states with the highest rates of in-home homicides had such laws.

Implications

The findings underscore that pediatric firearm homicides disproportionately occur in the home setting and are frequently linked with child abuse and intimate partner violence. Federal laws, according to the authors, may be insufficient to address these issues, leaving states with a crucial role in enacting stronger protections.

Rook emphasized the role of pediatricians and policymakers in advancing preventive strategies. “Given evidence that stronger state firearm laws are associated with fewer pediatric in-home homicides, future advocacy should seek to expand gun laws, including extreme risk protection orders which may prevent these cases by removing firearms from high-risk households,” he said.

The authors concluded that state-level firearm legislation, particularly ERPOs, may be an important tool to reduce pediatric in-home firearm homicides and protect children from preventable deaths.

References:

1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Stricter gun laws associated with decreased in-home pediatric firearm homicides. Eurekalert. September 26, 2025. Accessed September 26, 2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1099063
2. Rook J. Killed in Their Own Homes: The Rise of Pediatric Firearm In-Home Homicides and Association with State Firearm Laws. Abstract. Presented at: American Academy of Pediatrics 2025 National Conference & Exhibition. September 26-30, 2025. Denver, Colorado.