Massachusetts
The latest Massachusetts annual gun death data.
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270 Gun Deaths in Massachusetts
Based on most recent available finalized data from CDC (2023).
121
HOMICIDES
147
SUICIDES
2
OTHER
10
YOUNG PEOPLE (1-17)
Key Takeaways
The overall gun death rate increased by 16% in 2023 compared to 2014.
Massachusetts had the lowest gun death rate in the country in 2023.
In 2022, there were at least 42 domestic violence-related homicides in Massachusetts. More than one-third (36%) 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 32 hours.
Gun violence cost Massachusettsans $2.9 billion annually.
This amounts to $414 per person.
Firearm Homicide in Massachusetts
7X
Males were seven times as likely to die by gun homicide than females from 2019 to 2023.
69%
Young people ages 15-34 accounted for 69% of all gun homicides in 2023. The gun homicide rate of this age group increased by 15% in 2023 compared to last year.
43X
Young Black males ages 15-34 were 43 times as likely to die by gun homicide than their white counterparts from 2019 to 2023.
26%
Young Hispanic/Latino males ages 15-34 accounted for 2.3% of the state population but 26% of all gun homicides in 2023.
Firearm Suicide in Massachusetts
13X
Males were 13 times as likely to die by gun suicide than females from 2019 to 2023.
61%
White males over the age of 34 accounted for nearly 21% of the population in Massachusetts but 61% of all gun suicide deaths in 2023.
50%
Half (50%) of all gun suicide deaths in 2023 were people over the age of 54.
Guns are used in the majority of homicides.
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.
Extreme Risk Protection Order
Massachusetts has an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), a civil order that temporarily prohibits the purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition by a person who poses a risk of causing bodily injury to self or others. Family and household members, health care providers that provided services to the respondent within the preceding 6 months, principals & assistant principals of elementary schools or secondary schools, or administrators of a college/university where the respondent is enrolled, and the Firearm Owners Identification Card (FID) licensing authority in the respondent’s town may file an ERPO petition. Visit ERPO.org for more information on MA's ERPO law.
Factsheet: Gun Violence in Massachusetts
Download and share our state factsheet on the most recent CDC data on gun violence in Massachusetts.
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