Rhode Island
The latest Rhode Island annual gun death data.
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58 Gun Deaths in Rhode Island
Based on most recent available finalized data from CDC (2023).
18
HOMICIDES
38
SUICIDES
2
OTHER
Key Takeaways
The overall gun death rate increased by 55% in 2023 compared to 2022, mainly due to the increase in gun suicides. From 2014 to 2023, the overall gun death rate increased by 60%.
While Rhode Island had the 5th lowest gun suicide rate in the country in 2023, the state’s overall gun suicide rate increased by 76% from 2014 to 2023.
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 six days.
Gun violence costs Rhode Islanders $409 million annually.
This amounts to $374 per person.
Gun homicide rate data is suppressed by the CDC or unreliable for years without a data point on the graph.
Firearm Homicide in Rhode Island
4X
Males were nearly four times as likely to die by gun homicide than females from 2019 to 2023.
67%
Two-thirds (67%) of all gun homicides were young people ages 15 to 34 in 2023.
7X
Black people were seven times more likely to die by gun homicide compared to their white counterparts from 2019 to 2023.
56%
Young Hispanic/Latino males made up 3% of the state’s population but accounted for 56% of all gun homicides in 2023.
83%
Providence County had the highest gun homicide rate in the state from 2019 to 2023. 83% of all gun homicides occurred in Providence County in 2023.
Firearm Suicide in Rhode Island
55%
White males over the age of 34 accounted for 21% of the population in Rhode Island but 55% of all gun suicide deaths in 2023.
53%
More than half (53%) of all gun suicide deaths in 2023 were 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
Rhode Island’s Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law temporarily prohibits the respondent from having possession, custody, or control of firearms or from purchasing or receiving firearms. Law enforcement agencies may petition the court for an ERPO if the respondent poses a significant danger of causing imminent personal injury to self (including suicide) or others by having access to firearms. Visit ERPO.org for more info on RI's ERPO law.
Factsheet: Gun Violence in Rhode Island
Download and share our factsheet on the most recent CDC data on gun violence in Rhode Island.
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