37
gun deaths in Rhode Island
35%
Homicides comprised more than 1/3 of gun deaths
62%
Suicides comprised more than three in five gun deaths
89%
of gun death victims were male
1st
lowest gun death rate in the country in 2018

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2018

More than 35 Rhode Islanders died by gun violence in 2018, an average of one person ten days. Suicides were 62% of gun deaths and homicides were 35%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

Over the last 10 years (2009-2018), the overall gun death rate in Rhode Island decreased 35%. Decreases in the suicide rate contributed to the overall change over the course of the decade; in that time period the firearm suicide rate decreased 42%.

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Total gun death rate
Firearm homicide rate
Firearm suicide rate

Note: The CDC considers firearm homicide rates based on fewer than 20 deaths “statistically unreliable.” There were fewer than 20 firearm homicides reported from 2009-2018, therefore these data points are omitted from the graph above.

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 3.46 to 3.66
  • 3.67 to 3.87
  • 3.88 to 4.08
  • 4.09 to 4.31
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Rhode Island, Providence County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Kent County.

Conversely, Newport County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Washington 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 (2009-2018).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

13
firearm homicides in 2018

Gun Deaths by Intent

More than 1/3 of gun deaths were homicides in 2018.

Homicide by Method

The majority of homicides were committed with firearms in 2018.

Demographics

In Rhode Island, 86% of firearm homicide victims are male and Black males are disproportionately impacted.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).

FIREARM SUICIDES

23
firearm suicides in 2018
4th
lowest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

More than 3/5 of gun deaths were suicides in 2018.

Suicide by Method

More than 1/5 of suicides were by firearm in 2018.

Demographics

White (non Latino) males ages 55-64 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