179
gun deaths in Alaska, including
24
children and teens
(ages 0-19)
28%
Homicides comprised more than 1/4 of gun deaths
65%
Suicides comprised nearly 2/3 of gun deaths
83%
of gun death victims were male
1st
highest gun death rate in the country in 2019

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019

In 2019, 179 Alaskans died by gun violence, an average of three people every week. Suicides were 65% of the gun deaths and homicides were 28%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Total gun death rate
Firearm homicide rate
Firearm suicide rate

Note: The CDC considers firearm homicide rates based on fewer than 20 deaths “statistically unreliable.” There were fewer than 20 firearm homicides reported in 2009 and from 2011-2013, therefore these data points are omitted from the graph above.

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 13.88 to 28.48
  • 28.49 to 43.09
  • 43.10 to 57.70
  • 57.71 to 72.21
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Alaska, Wade Hampton Census Area had the highest gun death rate, followed by Nome Census Area and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

Conversely, Juneau Borough had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Kodiak Island Borough and Ketchikan Gateway Borough.

Notes:

  • The CDC suppresses data in which fewer than 10 deaths are reported in a given time frame and considers firearm death rates based on fewer than 20 deaths “statistically unreliable.” Counties that meet this criteria are labeled “Suppressed/Unreliable.”
  • Based on a ten-year average (2010-2019).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

51
firearm homicides in 2019
11th
highest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

More than 1/4 of gun deaths were homicides in 2019.

Homicide by Method

Nearly 2/3 of homicides were committed with firearms in 2019.

Demographics

In Alaska, young American Indian/ Alaska Native and Black males are disproportionately impacted by firearm homicide. American Indian/ Alaska Native males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate 4.5 times higher than White males of the same age group and Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate 9 times higher than White males of the same age group.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2015-2019).

FIREARM SUICIDES

117
firearm suicides in 2019, including
17
children and teens
2nd
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

Nearly 2/3 of gun deaths were suicides in 2019.

Suicide by Method

More than half of all suicides were by firearm in 2019.

Demographics

American Indian/ Alaska Native males ages 15-24 are at highest risk for firearm suicide in Alaska.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2015-2019).

Resources

Additional Information

Notes

  • All rates listed are age-adjusted in order to allow for accurate comparisons between populations with different age distributions.
  • All data is from 2019, the most recent year of data available, unless otherwise indicated.
  • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, 1999-2019. Available: http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html.

Last updated February 2021