A firearm injury is a gunshot wound or penetrating injury from a weapon that uses a powder charge to fire a projectile. Weapons that use a powder charge include handguns, rifles and shotguns. Injuries from air- and gas-powered guns, BB guns and pellet guns are not considered firearm injuries as these types of guns do not use a powder charge to fire a projectile.
Different types of firearm injuries
There are many types of firearm injuries, which can be fatal or nonfatal:
Intentionally self-inflicted
Includes firearm suicide or nonfatal self-harm injury from a firearm.
Unintentional
Includes fatal or nonfatal firearm injuries that happen while someone is cleaning or playing with a firearm or other incidents of accidental firing without evidence of intentional harm.
Interpersonal violence
Includes firearm homicide or nonfatal assault injury from a firearm.
Legal intervention
Includes firearm injuries inflicted by the police or other law enforcement agents acting in the line of duty.
For example, firearm injuries that occur while arresting or attempting to arrest someone, maintaining order or ensuring safety.
The term legal intervention is a commonly used external cause of injury classification. It does not indicate the legality of the circumstances surrounding the death.
Undetermined intent
Includes firearm injuries where there is not enough information to determine whether the injury was intentionally self-inflicted, unintentional, the result of legal intervention or from an act of interpersonal violence.
Consequences of firearm violence
People who survive a firearm-related injury may experience long-term consequences. These include problems with memory, thinking, emotions and physical disability from injury to the brain, paralysis from injury to the spinal cord and chronic mental health problems from conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
The effects of firearm violence extend beyond victims and their families. Shooting incidents can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
