(NewsNation) — Firearms overtook auto accidents as the leading cause of death in children, according to school-shooting tracking data from Education Week.
The data shows that children are disproportionately affected by firearm-related injuries.
Auto accidents have long been the leading cause of death among children, but in 2020 that changed.
From 2019 to 2020, firearm-related injuries or deaths for children increased by 29.5%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children and adolescents are defined as persons 1 to 19 years of age.
Education Week journalists began tracking shootings on K-12 school property that resulted in firearm-related injuries or deaths to bring context to polarizing debates about gun rights and school safety.
In 2020, when schools were largely closed due to the pandemic, there were 10 school shootings, according to the data.