Guns killed more children in 2020 than any other cause

A new study shows guns as the No. 1 cause of death for American youth in 2020; a Jerusalem holy site experiences a week of violence. 

Tonight's Sentences was written by Natasha Ishak.

Guns became the lead cause of child and teen deaths in the US, new study shows

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

• More than 4,300 children and teenagers died from gun-related injuries in 2020, surpassing vehicle crashes and drug overdoses as the leading cause of mortality among American youths. [NBC News / Aria Bendix]

• Researchers at the University of Michigan published that finding in the New England Journal of Medicine, drawing on mortality data recently released by the CDC. [NEJM / Jason E. Goldstick, Rebecca M. Cunningham, and Patrick M. Carter] 

• The researchers found that gun-related deaths among those younger than 20 years old in 2020 jumped 29 percent from the previous year. [Forbes / Nina Shapiro]

• They also found the number of gun-related injuries among children and teens began to closely mirror the number of vehicle crash-related injuries — the leading cause of mortality among youths at the time — sometime after 2017. [The Hill / Shirin Ali]

• The authors also called for sustained federal anti-gun violence funding, writing, “we continue to fail to protect our youth from a preventable cause of death.” [BBC]

• The US saw the largest year-over-year rise in firearms-related deaths on record in 2020. At least 45,222 people died of gunshot wounds, a 14 percent jump from the year before. [The Trace / Jennifer Mascia]

Israeli forces continue to clash with Palestinians at Jerusalem holy site

• At least 31 Palestinians and one Israeli police officer were wounded early Friday during an hourslong clash that took place at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. [Haaretz / Josh Breiner, Jack Khoury, and Deiaa Haj Yahia]

• Violent clashes at the site have continued since last week, when Israeli police fought Palestinian civilians at the mosque, leaving over 150 Palestinians and three Israeli police officers injured. [Guardian / Ben Lynfield and Oliver Holmes]

• Witnesses alleged Israeli forces had entered the compound at dawn and attacked unarmed civilians including the mosque’s staff. Israeli authorities claim they were breaking up a “violent” crowd at the site. [Al Jazeera]

• The Al-Aqsa mosque is especially busy during this time of Ramadan, the holy month of Islam. But the site also holds religious significance for Jewish people who revere it as the Temple Mount, making it a contested site between Israel and Palestine. [Forbes / Madeline Halpert]

• Last year, similarly violent skirmishes in the area led to an outright war along the Gaza Strip between Israeli forces and Hamas militants that lasted 11 days. [Associated Press / Tia Goldenberg]

• Raam, an independent Arab party, temporarily suspended its involvement in Israel’s coalition government earlier this week following the continued clashes. This could lead to an opposition vote to dissolve the current government. [New York Times / Patrick Kingsley and Raja Abdulrahim]

Financial experts warn that right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen winning France’s presidential run-off this Sunday could shock the market more than Brexit. [CNN / Julia Horowitz and Anna Cooban]

• Global climate activists are set to hold rallies in the US Capitol and cities worldwide in honor of Earth Day on Saturday. [NYT / Lisa Friedman]

• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) testified in court about her alleged role in the January 6 insurrection as part of a legal challenge against her reelection. [NPR / Sam Gringlas]
• On Thursday, UK doctors identified the country’s first patient to harbor a Covid-19 infection for more than a year before passing away from the disease. [Guardian / Ian Sample]

   

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"In the last 40 years, and almost certainly before that, this is the first time that firearm injuries have surpassed motor vehicle crashes among kids."

[Jason Goldstick, a research associate professor at the University of Michigan, on findings from his group’s study on gun-related deaths among children / NBC News]

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