The firearm homicide rate in 2020 was the highest recorded in the United States in the last quarter century, according to a report released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). .
From 2019 to 2020 it increased by about 35%, while the suicide rate also remained high.
These figures vary greatly depending on race, age and gender, according to the CDC.
“Youth, men, and black people have the highest rates of firearm homicides and had the most significant increases in cases in 2020,” the report details.
The specialists indicate that multiple factors associated with the pandemic may have influenced this situation, which they described as "a significant public health problem."
They cite stress, isolation, and economic problems (such as job loss and difficulty meeting daily expenses) as factors that could aggravate previously existing trends.
In 2020, 79% of all homicides and 53% of all suicides involved firearms.