895
gun deaths in South Carolina, including
92
children and teens
(ages 0-19)
42%
Homicides comprised more than two in every five gun deaths
55%
Suicides comprised more than half of all gun deaths
84%
of gun death victims were male
12th
highest gun death rate in the country in 2018

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2018

Nearly 900 South Carolinians died by gun violence in 2018, an average of more than two people every day. Suicides were 55% of the gun deaths and homicides were 42%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

Over the last 10 years (2009-2018), the overall gun death rate in South Carolina increased 30%. 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 52% and the firearm suicide rate increased 16%.

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

  • 11.86 to 17.06
  • 17.07 to 22.27
  • 22.28 to 27.48
  • 27.49 to 32.83
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in South Carolina, Colleton County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Jasper County and Barnwell County.

Conversely, Lee County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Beaufort County and York 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

373
firearm homicides in 2018, including
57
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 2018.

Homicide by Method

More than 3/4 of homicides were committed with firearms in 2018.

Demographics

In South Carolina, 83% of firearm homicide victims are male and Black males are disproportionately impacted. Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate nearly 9 times higher than White (non Latino) males of the same age group.

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

FIREARM SUICIDES

493
firearm suicides in 2018, including
29
children and teens
25th
lowest 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

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