GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019
More than 1,200 Missourians died by gun violence in 2019, an average of more than three people every day. Suicides were 54% of the gun deaths and homicides were 43%.
TRENDS OVER TIME
The gun death rate in Missouri has substantially increased over the second half of the decade. The rate increased 35% from 2014-2019 and was primarily due to a staggering rise in firearm homicides during that time period — the firearm homicide rate increased 65% from 2014 to 2019. The change in the firearm suicide rate from year to year has been consistently and steadily increasing, with only a few exceptions.
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
- 8.84 to 16.54
- 16.55 to 24.25
- 24.26 to 31.96
- 31.97 to 39.46
- Suppressed /
Unreliable
[{"county":"Adair","data":"13.06","test":13.06,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Andrew","data":"10.8","test":10.8,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Atchison","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Audrain","data":"12.01","test":12.01,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Barry","data":"12.99","test":12.99,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Barton","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Bates","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Benton","data":"22.19","test":22.19,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Bollinger","data":"17.92","test":17.92,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Boone","data":"11.48","test":11.48,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Buchanan","data":"11.51","test":11.51,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Butler","data":"17.85","test":17.85,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Caldwell","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Callaway","data":"14.8","test":14.8,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Camden","data":"13.2","test":13.2,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cape Girardeau","data":"14.83","test":14.83,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Carroll","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Carter","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Cass","data":"16.41","test":16.41,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cedar","data":"16.23","test":16.23,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Chariton","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Christian","data":"13.66","test":13.66,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Clark","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Clay","data":"13.57","test":13.57,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Clinton","data":"12.95","test":12.95,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cole","data":"13.62","test":13.62,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Cooper","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Crawford","data":"16.54","test":16.54,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Dade","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Dallas","data":"15.83","test":15.83,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Daviess","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"DeKalb","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Dent","data":"13.77","test":13.77,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Douglas","data":"22.44","test":22.44,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Dunklin","data":"19.63","test":19.63,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Franklin","data":"15.43","test":15.43,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Gasconade","data":"13.19","test":13.19,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Gentry","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Greene","data":"13.03","test":13.03,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Grundy","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Harrison","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Henry","data":"20.59","test":20.59,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Hickory","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Holt","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Howard","data":"16.79","test":16.79,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Howell","data":"20.05","test":20.05,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Iron","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Jackson","data":"25.84","test":25.84,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Jasper","data":"14.19","test":14.19,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Jefferson","data":"15.09","test":15.09,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Johnson","data":"12.81","test":12.81,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Knox","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Laclede","data":"18.43","test":18.43,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Lafayette","data":"11.06","test":11.06,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Lawrence","data":"13.79","test":13.79,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Lewis","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Lincoln","data":"17.82","test":17.82,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Linn","data":"20.62","test":20.62,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Livingston","data":"15.39","test":15.39,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Macon","data":"24.78","test":24.78,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Madison","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Maries","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Marion","data":"12.62","test":12.62,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"McDonald","data":"13.79","test":13.79,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Mercer","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Miller","data":"13.08","test":13.08,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Mississippi","data":"21.55","test":21.55,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Moniteau","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Monroe","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Montgomery","data":"18.11","test":18.11,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Morgan","data":"13.14","test":13.14,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"New Madrid","data":"17.86","test":17.86,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Newton","data":"13.2","test":13.2,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Nodaway","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Oregon","data":"24.39","test":24.39,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Osage","data":"16.28","test":16.28,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Ozark","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Pemiscot","data":"25.35","test":25.35,"label":"leg-2"},{"county":"Perry","data":"12.45","test":12.45,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pettis","data":"11.25","test":11.25,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Phelps","data":"14.24","test":14.24,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pike","data":"12.97","test":12.97,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Platte","data":"11.68","test":11.68,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Polk","data":"13.98","test":13.98,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Pulaski","data":"12.79","test":12.79,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Putnam","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Ralls","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Randolph","data":"15.49","test":15.49,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Ray","data":"14.53","test":14.53,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Reynolds","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Ripley","data":"18.58","test":18.58,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Saline","data":"9.64","test":9.64,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Schuyler","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Scotland","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Scott","data":"15.78","test":15.78,"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":"8.84","test":8.84,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"St. Clair","data":"17.8","test":17.8,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"St. Francois","data":"13.16","test":13.16,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"St. Louis city","data":"39.46","test":39.46,"label":"leg-3"},{"county":"St. Louis","data":"17.73","test":17.73,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Ste. Genevieve","data":"12.73","test":12.73,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Stoddard","data":"13.2","test":13.2,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Stone","data":"20.59","test":20.59,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Sullivan","data":"Unreliable","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Taney","data":"10.33","test":10.33,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Texas","data":"21.03","test":21.03,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Vernon","data":"16.45","test":16.45,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Warren","data":"12.66","test":12.66,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Washington","data":"14.32","test":14.32,"label":"leg-0"},{"county":"Wayne","data":"21.43","test":21.43,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Webster","data":"16.96","test":16.96,"label":"leg-1"},{"county":"Worth","data":"Suppressed","test":0,"label":"leg-na"},{"county":"Wright","data":"18.22","test":18.22,"label":"leg-1"}]
Among the counties in Missouri, St. Louis city had the highest gun death rate, followed by Jackson County and Pemiscot County.
Conversely, St. Charles County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Saline County and Taney County.
FIREARM HOMICIDES
537
firearm homicides in 2019, including
76
children and teens
6th
highest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.
Gun Deaths by Intent
More than 2/5 of gun deaths were homicides in 2019.
Homicide by Method
The majority of homicides were committed with firearms in 2019.
Demographics
In Missouri, young Black males are disproportionately impacted by firearm homicide. Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate 26 times higher than White males of the same age group.
Note: Based on a five-year average (2015-2019).
FIREARM SUICIDES
681
firearm suicides in 2018, including
35
children and teens
11th
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.
Gun Deaths by Intent
More than half of all gun deaths were suicides in 2019.
Suicide by Method
3/5 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
