The top U.S. health official has declared gun violence in the U.S. a public health crisis. "Gun violence is a public health crisis in the U.S. that poses a serious threat to our health and the well-being of our country," Vivek Murthy said Tuesday.
Many children and young people die
According to health authorities, around 50,000 people in the USA die every year from injuries caused by guns - either self-inflicted or inflicted by others. Among children and young people, gun-related injuries are now the most common cause of death.
Murthy recommends counteracting this with more money for research and stricter laws on the purchase and storage of weapons, among other things. However, political opposition to this has been immense in recent years, particularly from Republicans.