GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019
Almost 250 people in Massachusetts died by gun violence in 2019, an average of five people every week. Suicides were 57% of the gun deaths and homicides were 38%.
TRENDS OVER TIME
Over the last 10 years (2010-2019), the overall gun death rate in Massachusetts increased 11%. Increases in the suicide rate contributed to the overall change over the course of the decade; in that time period, the firearm suicide rate increased 44%, while the firearm homicide rate decreased 29%.
Age-adjusted rate per 100,000
County Variations
Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000
- 1.83 to 2.93
- 2.94 to 4.04
- 4.05 to 5.15
- 5.16 to 6.32
- Suppressed /
Unreliable

Among the counties in Massachusetts, Hampden County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Berkshire County and Suffolk County.

Conversely, Middlesex County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Norfolk County and Hampshire County.
FIREARM HOMICIDES
Gun Deaths by Intent
Homicide by Method
FIREARM SUICIDES
Gun Deaths by Intent
Suicide by Method
RESOURCES
Additional Information
- Prevent Firearm Suicide - Massachusetts
- Disarm Domestic Violence - Massachusetts
- Implement ERPO - Massachusetts
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 March 2021