Addressing the Burden of Gun Violence

Gun violence in the U.S. is a significant public health burden, accounting for over 30,000 deaths and an estimated 73,000 injures each year. Like other disease burdens with complex interactions between the host (individuals), agents (firearms) and the environment, epidemiological principles can identify patterns in the determinants and distribution of firearm injuries to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based interventions (programs, policies, technologies). The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) was formed in 2002 with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to link information on violent deaths from medical examiners and coroners to data on circumstances and weapons from law enforcement and crime laboratories. Involvement of forensic pathologists, medical examiners and coroners is critically important for a complete National Violent Death Reporting System and vital for the systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of data on all violent deaths in the United States.