573
gun deaths in Arkansas, including
50
children and teens
(ages 0-19)
34%
Homicides comprised 1/3 of gun deaths
60%
Suicides comprised three in five gun deaths
84%
of gun death victims were male
8th
highest gun death rate in the country in 2018

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2018

Nearly 600 Arkansans died by gun violence in 2018, an average of more than one person every day. Suicides were 60% of the gun deaths and homicides were 34%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

Over the last 10 years (2009-2018), the overall gun death rate in Arkansas increased 17%. Increases in both homicide and suicide rates contributed to the overall change over the course of the decade; in that time period, the firearm homicide rate increased 19% and the firearm suicide rate increased 14%.

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Total gun death rate
Firearm homicide rate
Firearm suicide rate

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 9.82 to 19.02
  • 19.03 to 28.23
  • 28.24 to 37.44
  • 37.45 to 46.74
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Arkansas, Phillips County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Jefferson County and Searcy County.

Conversely, Benton County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Washington County and Sebastian County.

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 (2009-2018).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

194
firearm homicides in 2018, including
27
children and teens
10th
highest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

1/3 of gun deaths were homicides in 2018.

Homicide by Method

Nearly 3/4 of homicides were committed with firearms in 2018.

Demographics

In Arkansas, 81% of firearm homicide victims are male and Black males are disproportionately impacted. Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate 12 times higher than White (non Latino) males of the same age group.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).

FIREARM SUICIDES

345
firearm suicides in 2018, including
16
children and teens
12th
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

3/5 of gun deaths were suicides in 2018.

Suicide by Method

More than 3/5 of suicides were by firearm in 2018.

Demographics

White (non Latino) males ages 75+ are at highest risk for firearm suicide.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).

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 2018, 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, 1999-2018. Available: http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html.

Last updated September 2020