GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2018
More than 1,300 Missourians died by gun violence in 2018, an average of more than three people every day. Suicides were 55% of the gun deaths and homicides were 42%.
TRENDS OVER TIME
Over the last 10 years (2009-2018), the overall gun death rate in Missouri increased 56%. 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 77% and the firearm suicide rate increased 45%.
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
- 8.33 to 15.83
- 15.84 to 23.34
- 23.35 to 30.85
- 30.86 to 38.17
- Suppressed /
Unreliable
[{"county":"Adair","data":"12.74","test":12.74,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Andrew","data":"9.79","test":9.79,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Atchison","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Audrain","data":"11.83","test":11.83,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Barry","data":"12.71","test":12.71,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Barton","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Bates","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Benton","data":"20.34","test":20.34,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Bollinger","data":"18.23","test":18.23,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Boone","data":"10.42","test":10.42,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Buchanan","data":"11.5","test":11.5,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Butler","data":"16.87","test":16.87,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Caldwell","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Callaway","data":"14.22","test":14.22,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Camden","data":"13.5","test":13.5,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cape Girardeau","data":"14.13","test":14.13,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Carroll","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Carter","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Cass","data":"14.66","test":14.66,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cedar","data":"17.62","test":17.62,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Chariton","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Christian","data":"12.94","test":12.94,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Clark","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Clay","data":"12.84","test":12.84,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Clinton","data":"11.34","test":11.34,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cole","data":"12.31","test":12.31,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cooper","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Crawford","data":"14.98","test":14.98,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Dade","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Dallas","data":"19.39","test":19.39,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Daviess","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"DeKalb","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Dent","data":"11.98","test":11.98,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Douglas","data":"21.84","test":21.84,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Dunklin","data":"19.39","test":19.39,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Franklin","data":"15.44","test":15.44,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Gasconade","data":"12.08","test":12.08,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Gentry","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Greene","data":"12.65","test":12.65,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Grundy","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Harrison","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Henry","data":"19.45","test":19.45,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Hickory","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Holt","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Howard","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Howell","data":"19.64","test":19.64,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Iron","data":"18.9","test":18.9,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Jackson","data":"24.5","test":24.5,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Jasper","data":"13.82","test":13.82,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Jefferson","data":"14.22","test":14.22,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Johnson","data":"13.06","test":13.06,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Knox","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Laclede","data":"18.17","test":18.17,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Lafayette","data":"9.78","test":9.78,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Lawrence","data":"14.22","test":14.22,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Lewis","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Lincoln","data":"15.51","test":15.51,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Linn","data":"20.77","test":20.77,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Livingston","data":"16.4","test":16.4,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Macon","data":"24.49","test":24.49,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Madison","data":"16.96","test":16.96,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Maries","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Marion","data":"12.47","test":12.47,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"McDonald","data":"14.33","test":14.33,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Mercer","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Miller","data":"11.79","test":11.79,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Mississippi","data":"17.91","test":17.91,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Moniteau","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Monroe","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Montgomery","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Morgan","data":"14.4","test":14.4,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"New Madrid","data":"15.52","test":15.52,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Newton","data":"14","test":14,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Nodaway","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Oregon","data":"23.31","test":23.31,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Osage","data":"15.66","test":15.66,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Ozark","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Pemiscot","data":"19.08","test":19.08,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Perry","data":"14.56","test":14.56,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pettis","data":"10.06","test":10.06,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Phelps","data":"14.58","test":14.58,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pike","data":"12.98","test":12.98,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Platte","data":"11.64","test":11.64,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Polk","data":"14.92","test":14.92,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pulaski","data":"13.53","test":13.53,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Putnam","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Ralls","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Randolph","data":"15.02","test":15.02,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Ray","data":"15.71","test":15.71,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Reynolds","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Ripley","data":"18.73","test":18.73,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Saline","data":"9.89","test":9.89,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Schuyler","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Scotland","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Scott","data":"15.01","test":15.01,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Shannon","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Shelby","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"St. Charles","data":"8.33","test":8.33,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"St. Clair","data":"17.4","test":17.4,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"St. Francois","data":"12.31","test":12.31,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"St. Louis city","data":"38.17","test":38.17,"label":"leg-3"},{"county":"St. Louis","data":"16.67","test":16.67,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Ste. Genevieve","data":"14.31","test":14.31,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Stoddard","data":"13.23","test":13.23,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Stone","data":"20.21","test":20.21,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Sullivan","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Taney","data":"10.92","test":10.92,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Texas","data":"21.12","test":21.12,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Vernon","data":"16.11","test":16.11,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Warren","data":"12.31","test":12.31,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Washington","data":"13.02","test":13.02,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Wayne","data":"19.55","test":19.55,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Webster","data":"17.86","test":17.86,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Worth","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Wright","data":"17.11","test":17.11,"label":"leg-1"}]
Among the counties in Missouri, St. Louis city had the highest gun death rate, followed by Jackson County and Macon County.
Conversely, St. Charles County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Lafayette County and Andrew County.
FIREARM HOMICIDES
556
firearm homicides in 2018, including
66
children and teens
5th
highest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.
Gun Deaths by Intent
More than 2/5 of gun deaths were homicides in 2018.
Homicide by Method
The majority of homicides were committed with firearms in 2018.
Demographics
In Missouri, 83% of firearm homicide victims are male and Black males are disproportionately impacted. Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate 26 times higher than White (non Latino) males of the same age group.
Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).
FIREARM SUICIDES
726
firearm suicides in 2018, including
48
children and teens
10th
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.
Gun Deaths by Intent
More than half of all gun deaths were suicides in 2018.
Suicide by Method
Nearly 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
