311 Gun Deaths in West Virginia
Based on most recent available finalized data from CDC (2022).
81
HOMICIDES
223
SUICIDES
7
OTHER
Key Takeaways
The overall gun death rate increased 13% from 2013 to 2022.
West Virginia had the 16th highest gun suicide rate in the country in 2022.
Firearms were the third leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-17 from 2018 to 2022.
In 2021, there were at least 36 domestic violence-related homicides in West Virginia. 64% were by firearm.
An average of one person killed every 28 hours.
Gun violence costs West Virginians $3 billion annually.
Firearm Homicide in West Virginia
3X
Males were three times as likely to die by gun homicide than females from 2018 to 2022.
6X
Black people were nearly six times as likely to die by gun homicide than their white counterparts from 2018 to 2022.
2X
Hispanic/Latino people were twice as likely to die from gun homicide than white people from 2018 to 2022.
7X
Young Black males ages 15-34 were seven times as likely to die from gun homicide than their white counterparts from 2018 to 2022.
Firearm Suicide in West Virginia
9X
Males were nine times as likely to die by gun suicide than females.
68%
White males over the age of 34 accounted for 27% of the population in West Virginia but more than two-thirds (68%) of all gun suicide deaths in 2022.
54%
54% of all gun suicide deaths in 2022 were over the age of 54.
Guns are used in the majority of homicides & suicides.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death. Age-adjusted Gun Deaths and Rates per 100,000. WONDER Online Database, 1999-2022; & WISQARS. National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and Cost of Injury Modules. 2021-2022
