682
gun deaths in Kentucky, including
58
children and teens
(ages 0-19)
29%
Homicides comprised more than 1/4 of gun deaths
65%
Suicides comprised more than 2/3 of gun deaths
84%
of gun death victims were male
18th
highest gun death rate in the country in 2019

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019

Nearly 700 Kentuckians died by gun violence in 2019, an average of nearly two people every day. Suicides were 65% of the gun deaths and homicides were 29%.

Number of deaths

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 7.38 to 14.38
  • 14.39 to 21.39
  • 21.40 to 28.40
  • 28.41 to 35.37
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Kentucky, Wolfe County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Breathitt County and Grayson County.

Conversely, Oldham County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Campbell County and Boone County.

FIREARM HOMICIDES

201
firearm homicides in 2019, including
37
children and teens
22nd
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

The majority of homicides were committed with firearms in 2019.

FIREARM SUICIDES

445
firearm suicides in 2019, including
15
children and teens
23rd
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

Nearly 3/5 of suicides were by firearm in 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