Tennessee Gun Violence Stats
Over the last 15 years, the Tennessee General Assembly, has systematically loosened our state's gun laws. The gun lobby-backed legislators say that more guns carried by more people make us safer.
​
The statistics say otherwise.
​
According to the most recent available data, Tennessee is:
​​
-
7th for overall firearm fatalities for all ages, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Firearm fatalities include all forms of fatal gun violence, from homicides, suicides, unintentional shootings, and fatal shootings of unknown intent
-
Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of overall firearm fatalities increased 41 percent​
-
On average, 4.3 Tennesseans die every day from gun violence, or one person every 5.6 hours
-
​
-
7th for overall firearm fatalities for children, ages 0-17, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Between 2013 and 2023​, the rate of overall firearm fatalities for children, ages 0-17 increased 128 percent
-
On average, 8 Tennessee kids are killed with a gun every month
-
Guns are the leading cause of death for Tennessee children
-
-
6th for firearm homicides for all ages, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Firearm homicides include any murder committed with a gun
-
Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of firearm homicides for all ages increased 97 percent​
-
On average, there are 1.8 homicides every day in Tennessee
-
In 2013, 309 Tennesseans were killed with a gun vs 667 in 2023
-
​​
-
8th for firearm homicides for children, ages 0-17, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of firearm homicides for children, ages 0-17, increased 141 percent​
-
On average, five Tennessee kids are murdered every month
-
In 2013, 24 Tennessee children were murdered vs 61 in 2023
-
Guns are the leading cause of death for Tennessee children
-
​​
-
11th for firearm suicides for all ages, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Firearm suicides include any completed suicide committed with a gun
-
Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of firearm suicides for all ages increased 18 percent
-
69 percent of all suicides in Tennessee are firearm suicides
-
On average, 2.4 Tennesseans use a gun to take their own life every day
-
2023 saw a record number (878) of firearm suicides
-
​​
-
8th for firearm suicides for children, ages 0-17, according CDC Fatal Injury reports
-
Between 2013 and 2023, the rate of firearm for children, ages 0-17, increased 155% ​
-
57 percent of all children who took their own life did so with a gun
-
Most children who use a gun to commit suicide use a gun they have access to in their home​​​
-
​​
-
7th for Black homicide victimization, according to the Violence Policy Center
-
47 of the Black homicide victims, or 9.3 percent, were under the age of 18​
-
92 percent of the Black homicide victims were murdered with a gun
-
​​
-
5th for unintentional shootings involving children in 2024, according to the #NotAnAccident index
-
In 2024, Tennessee tied Pennsylvania for the 5th highest number of accidental shootings (17) involving children with access to unsecured guns.
-
Of the 17 unintentional shootings, nine resulted in deaths and eight resulted in injuries. Six of the deaths involved children under the age of six.
-
As of September 15, 2025, there have already been 8 unintentional shootings involving Tennessee kids with access to unsecured guns, resulting eight injuries.
-