190
gun deaths in Connecticut, including
10
children and teens (ages 0-19)
34%
Homicides comprised more than 1/3 of gun deaths
62%
Suicides comprised more than 3/5 of gun deaths
92%
of gun death victims were male
6th
lowest gun death rate in the country in 2019

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019

Nearly 200 Connecticuters died by gun violence in 2019, an average of more than three people every week. Suicides were 62% of the gun deaths and homicides were 34%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

While the firearm suicide rate remained relatively stable (decreasing less than 1%) from 2018 to 2019, the firearm homicide rate increased 18%, leading to a 7.5% increase in the total gun death rate. Still, the firearm suicide rate continues to be higher than the firearm homicide rate, which it has been since 2013.

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

  • 4.04 to 4.54
  • 4.55 to 5.05
  • 5.06 to 5.56
  • 5.57 to 5.95
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Connecticut, New Haven County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Hartford County and Litchfield County.

Conversely, Middlesex County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Fairfield County and Tolland 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 (2010-2019).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

65
firearm homicides in 2019
8th
lowest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

More than 1/3 of gun deaths were homicides in 2019.

Homicide by Method

3/5 of homicides were committed with firearms in 2019.

Demographics

In Connecticut, young Black males are disproportionately impacted by firearm homicide.

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

FIREARM SUICIDES

118
firearm suicides in 2019
6th
lowest 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 1/4 of suicides were by firearm in 2019.

Demographics

White males ages 75+ are at highest risk for firearm suicide.

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