{"id":239,"date":"2022-09-19T12:18:17","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=239"},"modified":"2022-09-19T12:18:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T12:18:17","slug":"sorry-beto-gun-violence-isnt-the-biggest-killer-of-kids-in-america-but-gang-violence-is-a-huge-killer-of-teens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=239","title":{"rendered":"Sorry Beto, \u2018Gun Violence\u2019 Isn\u2019t the Biggest Killer of Kids in America, but Gang Violence is a Huge Killer of Teens"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-scaled.jpg\" data-caption=\"Police Commander Rahman Muhammad stands outside a funeral home where a shootout wounded 15, in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood in Chicago. Muhammad says there's been a big shift since he began work in the 6th district 25 years ago when gun violence revolved around narcotics or some other criminal enterprise. Now, he says, social media is often the driving force behind the shootings. Disputes often start out online as gang members who've grown up together are now rivals taunting each other over petty matters that escalate into tragedy. (AP Photo\/David Goldman)\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"696\" height=\"444\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-696x444.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-696x444.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-700x447.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-768x490.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-1536x981.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-2048x1308.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-150x96.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-1068x682.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-1920x1226.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-658x420.jpg 658w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP20275400865245-560x358.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" alt=\"\" title=\"Chicago gang violence shooting police\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Police Commander Rahman Muhammad stands outside a funeral home where a shootout wounded 15, in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood in Chicago. Muhammad says there&#8217;s been a big shift since he began work in the 6th district 25 years ago when gun violence revolved around narcotics or some other criminal enterprise. Now, he says, social media is often the driving force behind the shootings. Disputes often start out online as gang members who&#8217;ve grown up together are now rivals taunting each other over petty matters that escalate into tragedy. (AP Photo\/David Goldman)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Few things concern people more than the safety of their kids. That\u2019s probably why a popular talking point that has been adopted by the media, anti-gun organizations, and anti-gun politicians lately is that \u201cguns are now the leading killer of children.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For instance, Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O\u2019Rourke recently <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BetoORourke\/status\/1564341832473100288\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tweeted<\/a> that \u201cgun violence is the leading cause of death among children and teens in Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-531810 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"468\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-700x471.png 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-150x101.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-696x468.png 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-625x420.png 625w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-560x376.png 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet.png 830w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-700x471.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-531810 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-700x471.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-700x471.png 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-150x101.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-696x468.png 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-625x420.png 625w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet-560x376.png 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/beto-tweet.png 830w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Similarly, Dr. Annie Andrews, who\u2019s running for Congress to represent South Carolina\u2019s First Congressional District, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=24mjay3LKx8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released an ad<\/a> in which she claimed that \u201c\u2026guns are erasing our kids. They\u2019re the number one killer of children in America.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"24mjay3LKx8\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Eraser\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/24mjay3LKx8?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>These are just a couple of examples, and no doubt countless more can be found amongst politicians and the gun control organizations that support them.<\/p>\n<p>So, is what they are saying correct? Are gun-related injuries really the leading killer of children in America?<\/p>\n<p>It largely depends on how you define \u201cchildren.\u201d Some people think of children as anything from toddlers through age 12. Others consider children to be anyone who isn\u2019t 18 yet.<\/p>\n<p>That distinction matters tremendously in discussing how many children die from gun-related incidents. That\u2019s why it\u2019s interesting when Mr. O\u2019Rourke uses the phrase \u201cchildren <em>and<\/em> teens\u201d, because if you separate the two, then guns are certainly not the leading killer of children.<\/p>\n<p>We can see this by examining the relevant data, which is publicly accessible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide very detailed statistics on public health, including data on underlying causes of death. This is found online through the CDC\u2019\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/wonder.cdc.gov\/controller\/datarequest\/D76\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WONDER tool<\/a>, an acronym which stands for \u201cWide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research.\u201d All of the data I am about to discuss can be found and replicated through the WONDER tool.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll include <em>all<\/em> gun-related deaths, meaning we will count homicides, suicides, legal interventions, and accidents, so long as they involved a firearm. The comparison won\u2019t include deaths amongst infants who die from congenital abnormalities or other similar infant mortality, although it should be noted such deaths <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statesman.com\/story\/news\/politics\/politifact\/2022\/06\/07\/fact-check-firearms-leading-cause-death-children\/7529783001\/\">drastically exceed<\/a> the gun deaths data we are about to see.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also going to define \u201cchildren\u201d as anyone aged 0 to 17, at least initially. This is the most expansive definition possible without also covering adults in the count.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, that\u2019s something astute readers should watch out for \u2013 many articles claiming record amounts of \u201cchildren\u201d dying from gun-related causes reach that conclusion by calling 18- and 19-year-old adults \u201cchildren.\u201d That\u2019s exactly what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2022\/05\/26\/gun-deaths-children-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this Axios article<\/a> does, for example, to claim that 4,368 \u201cchildren\u201d were killed by guns.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC WONDER data tells us that nationally, there were 2,281 gun-related deaths among children and teens ages 0 to 17 in 2020. This comes out to a per-capita rate of about 3.1 per 100,000.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-531811 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"317\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-700x319.png 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-768x350.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-150x68.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-696x317.png 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-922x420.png 922w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-560x255.png 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart.png 929w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-700x319.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-531811 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-700x319.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"696\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-700x319.png 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-300x137.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-768x350.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-150x68.png 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-696x317.png 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-922x420.png 922w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart-560x255.png 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/moros-chart.png 929w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>So, are gun-related injuries the leading cause of death for people ages 0-17? If you exceed infant mortality as we\u2019re doing, then yes\u2026barely. Car accidents are just behind gun deaths amongst this age group \u2014 by 50 \u2014 at 2,231 deaths per the CDC data.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s readily apparent in the chart above, however, is that a majority of the 2,281 deaths come from teenagers ages 13-17 who, in 2020, accounted for a total of 1,859 gun-related deaths. When you narrow the data down to just ages 0 to 12, guns aren\u2019t even close to the leading cause of death, as the gun-related death total in 2020 then falls from 2,281 to 422.<\/p>\n<p>To be sure, 422 children dying tragically is far too many, but that figure should be taken in its proper context. For comparison, 640 kids in that that same age group drowned in 2020. Other causes of death that exceeded gun-related injuries for that age range in 2020 include suffocation (1,434) and car accidents (907).<\/p>\n<p>Guns aren\u2019t the leading killer of children under the age of 13, nor are they even all that close to the top of the list.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps some would argue I\u2019m splitting hairs by excluding teenagers in this way. That\u2019s a fair point. But I would respond that when anti-gun advocates talk about \u201cchildren\u201d dying due to gun-related injuries, they\u2019re trying to evoke images of school shootings like the horrors of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/uvalde-residents-want-consequences-for-those-whose-failures-cost-so-many-lives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uvalde<\/a>, or accidents such as little Timmy finding his negligent father\u2019s gun unsecured and accidentally killing a playmate.<\/p>\n<p>What they probably do <em>not<\/em> want you to think about is teenagers killing other teenagers, predominantly through gang-related violence. Such violence disproportionately occurs in cities run by anti-gun politicians who are in turn backed by gun control organizations.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that gang violence harms African American teens much moreso than teenagers of other races. It\u2019s thus sadly unsurprising that the CDC\u2019s data on gun-related deaths also reflects this grim reality.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_531813\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-531813\" style=\"width: 696px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-531813 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Police crime scene shooting kids children\" width=\"696\" height=\"599\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-700x602.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-300x258.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-768x661.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1536x1322.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-2048x1763.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-150x129.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-696x599.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1068x919.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1920x1652.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-488x420.jpg 488w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-560x482.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-700x602.jpg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-531813 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-700x602.jpg\" alt=\"Police crime scene shooting kids children\" width=\"696\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-700x602.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-300x258.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-768x661.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1536x1322.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-2048x1763.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-150x129.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-696x599.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1068x919.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-1920x1652.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-488x420.jpg 488w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP19328082613594-560x482.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-531813\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Crime scene evidence markers at the parking lot of the Searles Elementary School in Union City, Calif. where a deadly shooting of teenage boys took place. (Union City Police Department via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Of the 1,859 gun-related deaths among teenagers (ages 13-17), 784 of those deaths were among black teens. That\u2019s about 42% of the total, or roughly three times higher than what it should be given black teens\u2019 share of the overall population.<\/p>\n<p>The shameful truth is that the risk of gun-related death is heavily dependent on race. According to the CDC, the per capita rates of gun-related death among the 13-17 age group in 2020 were:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">2.3 per 100,000 for Asians or Pacific Islanders<br \/>5.8 per 100,000 for White\/Caucasian<br \/>6.9 per 100,000 for Hispanic\/Latinos<br \/>10.1 per 100,00 for American Indians or Alaska Natives<br \/>25.2 per 100,000 for African Americans<\/p>\n<p>To summarize, gun-related injuries are the leading cause of death in children<em> and<\/em> teens combined. But that\u2019s misleading, because they are certainly not the leading cause of death in children under age 13. Moreover, even for teenagers, the degree of risk of gun-related deaths differs greatly based on the race of the teenager.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_531814\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-531814\" style=\"width: 696px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-531814 size-large\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Children child memorial shooting gang \" width=\"696\" height=\"465\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-700x468.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-2048x1368.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-696x465.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1068x713.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1920x1282.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-629x420.jpg 629w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-560x374.jpg 560w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-700x468.jpg\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-531814 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-700x468.jpg\" alt=\"Children child memorial shooting gang \" width=\"696\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-700x468.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-2048x1368.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-696x465.jpg 696w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1068x713.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-1920x1282.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-629x420.jpg 629w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/AP17332846625201-560x374.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-531814\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A memorial for Abdel Bashiti, 12, stands outside his father\u2019s beauty store in Cleveland, Ohio. Two teenagers were arrested for shooting and killing Bashiti and wounding several others last Friday. Bashiti was helping his father during a Black Friday sale when he was caught in the crossfire. (AP Photo\/Dake Kang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Humiliatingly for our country, black teens are far and away more likely to die due to gun-related injuries \u2014 more than twice as much \u2014 compared to children of any other race or ethnicity. For non-black teens, car accidents are still the most common cause of death.<\/p>\n<p>This should go without saying, but no child or teen should die a violent death, whether it\u2019s due to a homicide, an accident, or self-harm. But the gun control industry, always in search of a pretext to limit a constitutional right, isn\u2019t going to make that kind of distinction.<\/p>\n<p>If they really cared about saving children\u2019s lives, they\u2019d focus their energy on reducing the allure of gangs, combating depression in teens, and educating all children about safe gun handling.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Konstadinos Moros is an Associate Attorney with Michel &amp; Associates, a law firm in Long Beach that regularly represents the California Rifle &amp; Pistol Association (CRPA) in its litigation efforts to restore the Second Amendment in California. You can find him on his Twitter handle @MorosKostas. To donate to CRPA or become a member, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/crpa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/crpa.org\/<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/sorry-beto-gun-violence-isnt-the-biggest-killer-of-kids-in-america-gang-violence-is\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Police Commander Rahman Muhammad stands outside a funeral home where a shootout wounded 15, in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood in Chicago. Muhammad says there&#8217;s been a big shift since he began work in the 6th district 25 years ago when gun violence revolved around narcotics or some other criminal enterprise. Now, he says, social media [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":240,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-239","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}