Gun Violence in America

Military

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Facts

A study conducted by Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs found that at least four times as many active-duty personnel and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts have died by suicide than in combat: an estimated 30,177 by suicide compared with 7,057 killed in post-9/11 war operations. —Brown University Costs of War
During 2002–2011, active U.S. service members sustained 4,657 firearm-related injuries in circumstances other than deployment to the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan; 35 percent of the injuries were fatal. —PubMed
In 2023, 523 service members died by suicide, up from 493 the previous year. The Total Force suicide rate per 100,000 service members was nine percent higher than in 2022. —U.S. Department of Defense

Notable firearm-related deaths on U.S. military bases include:

2009 Fort Hood Shooting (Texas): 13 people killed and more than 30 others injured.
2014 Fort Hood Shooting (Texas): Four people killed and 14 others injured.
2013 Washington Navy Yard Shooting (D.C.): 12 people killed and three others injured.
2019 Pensacola Naval Air Station Shooting (Florida): Three U.S. sailors killed and eight others wounded. —Military.com

Programs working on specific strategies to reduce veteran gun violence include:

Giffords Veteran Coalition —Giffords
Everytown Veterans Engagement —Everytown
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Peer Support Groups —Wounded Warrior Project
Sandy Hook Promise —Sandy Hook Promise
Conflict prevention and diplomacy — International diplomatic efforts, mediation, arms-control agreements, and peacebuilding efforts seek to prevent armed conflicts before military force becomes necessary.