By UNC School of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine

The research shows firearm injuries in N.C. are pervasive and increasing, but preventable.

The findings were released earlier this year and demonstrate that firearm violence occurs in rural, suburban and urban areas across North Carolina. These data were compiled to be used as a tool for policymakers, local leaders, and community members alike to better understand what firearm violence looks like in their communities, as well as examples of evidence-based interventions that could be implemented.

To provide an accurate, interactive visual representation of firearm injury incidence, UNC researchers developed a public facing “StoryMap” featuring a series of color-coded N.C. maps depicting the number of fatal and nonfatal firearm injury incidents responded to by N.C. EMS on a county-by-county basis. These maps illustrate how firearm injury incidence differs across the state, not just for assaults but also self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries. Furthermore, firearm injuries often cluster in areas subject to greater social vulnerability (e.g., locations with higher levels of poverty, unemployment, and other adverse social determinants of health).

Firearms are a Leading Cause of Death and Serious Injury in N.C.

In 2022, there were 1,782 persons killed by firearm violence in North Carolina, or about five deaths each day. This number represents a fraction of the total number of firearm injuries. For example, in 2022, N.C. EMS responded to 3,379 fatal and nonfatal incidents involving firearms.

Collaborating in the research were Dr. Steve Marshall, Co-PI and Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Core Faculty Member in the Injury Prevention Research Center; Dr. Anna Waller, Research Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine and Core Faculty Member in the Injury Prevention Research Center; Dr. Amy Ising, Associate Director for the Carolina Center for Health Informatics in the Department of Emergency Medicine; and Kathleen Higgins, Graduate Research Assistant and Program Manager in the Injury Prevention Research Center.

The research project was conducted with funding from the American Public Health Association.

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