Orange County Health Care Agency
Firearm-Related Injury and Death in Orange County
(Santa Ana) – A new study by the Orange County Health Care Agency examines the prevalence and circumstances around firearm-related incidents in Orange County between 2009 and 2011. During this period, there were 1,292 firearm-related incidents resulting in the death of 439 persons and non-fatal injuries to 853 residents.
Lethal firearm incidents were most often associated with suicides (63%, n=278) and homicides (32%, n=142). Less severe injuries were typically the result of accidental discharges of firearms. Though the overall personal and economic losses associated with these incidents are difficult to measure, the costs associated with hospitalization averaged $16 million per year. Continue reading