A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death for children under 17, and that guns were the leading injury method.
The report from the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System examined data from 49 states, the District of Colombia, and Puerto Rico. Between 2003 and 2021, a total of 1,262 children were killed by guns during an unintentional incident.
The report stated that the majority of the victims were fatally injured at a house or apartment. In most cases, guns were found on a nightstand or top of a bed.
Data from Florida was not used in the report because it did not meet the "completeness threshold for circumstances in NVDRS."
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However, as NBC6 has reported, South Florida has seen several accidental shootings in the last four months.
In September, video showed a 3-year-old accidentally shooting herself with an unattended gun, while her relatives watched football at a home in southwest Miami-Dade.
A few days later, a 10-year-old accidentally fatally shot himself in North Miami.
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Last month, a 4-year-old girl was shot in the head by her brother with an unsecured gun.
The CDC says unintentional firearm injury deaths are preventable and urges gun owners to secure their guns by locking, unloading and separating ammunition.
To view the full report click here.
