Indiana
The latest Indiana annual gun death data.
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1,258 Gun Deaths in Indiana
Based on most recent available finalized data from CDC (2023).
436
HOMICIDES
757
SUICIDES
66
OTHER
81
YOUNG PEOPLE (1-17)
Indiana’s Jake Laird Law
The Indiana Jake Laird Law (JLL) Implementation Guide is designed for law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, mental and behavioral health professionals, public health practitioners, suicide prevention and gun violence prevention advocates, and other stakeholders in Indiana to understand key concepts of the JLL. The law is named for a law enforcement officer—Jake Laird—who was shot and killed while responding to a call of a man walking in a neighborhood with a rifle in 2004. An investigation determined that earlier in the year, the shooter had been placed under immediate detention and had his firearms seized. His guns were returned to him because law enforcement didn't have the authority to hold them. JLL was passed in 2005 by a near-unanimous vote in the state Senate and a unanimous vote in the state House. The law was amended in 2019 to clarify the process for judicial proceedings.
Key Takeaways
The overall gun death rate increased by 5% from 2022 to 2023. From 2014 to 2023, the overall gun death rate increased by 48%.
Indiana had the 13th highest gun homicide rate in the country in 2023.
Indiana had the 4th highest gun suicide rate among Black people in the country in 2023.
Firearms were the leading cause of death among young people ages 1-17 in 2023.
In 2022, there were at least 88 domestic violence-related homicides in Indiana. 74% of the homicides were by firearm.
County Firearm Death Data
This map shows county-level firearm death data from 2020–2024. Users can filter to view overall firearm deaths, firearm homicides, or firearm suicides. Death counts reflect the total number of deaths between 2020–2024 while rates represent the average annual rate during this period. The map includes finalized CDC mortality data through 2023 and preliminary data for 2024, providing a snapshot of COVID-era and post-COVID trends. All data comes from CDC WONDER.*
An average of one person killed every seven hours.
Gun violence costs Hoosiers $13.1 billion annually.
This amounts to $1,915 per person.
Firearm Homicide in Indiana
4X
Males were four times as likely to die by gun homicides than females.
15X
Black people were 15 times as likely to die by gun homicide as their white counterparts.
6X
Black females were six times as likely to die by gun homicide as white females.
27X
Young Black males ages 15-34 made up 2% of the state’s population but accounted for 36% of all gun homicides in 2023. They were 27 times as likely to die by gun homicide than their white counterparts.
Firearm Suicide in Indiana
6X
Males were six times as likely to die by gun suicide than females.
58%
White males over the age of 34 accounted for 21.4% of the population in Indiana but 58% of all gun suicide deaths in 2023.
40%
40% of all gun suicide deaths in 2023 were over the age of 54.
Guns are used in the majority of homicides & suicides.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death. Age-adjusted Gun Deaths and Rates per 100,000. WONDER Online Database, 1999-2023; & WISQARS. National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and Cost of Injury Modules. 2022
*CDC WONDER data limitations:
- Map results are labeled “unreliable” when there are fewer than 20 deaths.
- Map data are suppressed (not shown) for counties with fewer than 10 deaths.
- Map totals may include "other" gun deaths that are not reflected in homicide or suicide totals.
Risk Warrant/Jake Laird Law
Under Indiana’s Risk Warrant Law, (also known as Jake Laird Law), a law enforcement officer may seize firearms from a person who poses a danger of injury to self or others. Law enforcement officers may seize firearms with a warrant that is served within 48 hours, or without a warrant during the normal course of law enforcement duties, but with later court approval. Visit ERPO.org for more information on IN's ERPO law.
Factsheet: Gun Violence in Indiana
Download and share our state factsheet with the most recent CDC data on gun violence in Indiana.
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