When U.S. children die in mass shootings, most of the time the perpetrator is a family member, according to new Stanford Medicine research led by Stephanie Chao, MD.
The findings, which were published online in JAMA Pediatrics, come from the first analysis of the relationships between mass shooting perpetrators and pediatric victims. The data shows that more than 40% of pediatric mass shooting victims were killed by a parent, and 59% of them died at the hands of a relative, including parents, aunts and uncles, siblings, grandparents, and cousins.
Chao hopes the new findings will be used to increase awareness about the most prominent sources of gun violence. The data points to tactics for how to reduce pediatric gun deaths. For example, firearms could be removed from homes where relationships between adults are deteriorating or mental health concerns are rising.
“We need research and policies that approach gun violence as a public health problem, so we can best understand how to prevent it and treat it,” Chao says.
