New data shows Tennessee firearm deaths have reached record highs

PRESS RELEASE FROM TENNESSEE UNDER THE GUN / TN SENATE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS:

NEW DATA: Tennessee firearm deaths reach record high under Republican rule
Firearm homicides have doubled in a decade, suicides took record toll in 2023

NASHVILLE — Tennessee has reached a devastating new milestone: firearm deaths are higher than ever recorded, with sharp increases in homicides and youth fatalities, according to new government data for 2023, the most recent year where complete death statistics are available.

The total number of firearm fatalities in Tennessee for 2023 was 1,587 – eclipsing the previous record of 1,569 set in 2021.

Cause-of-death data released this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Tennessee’s firearm fatality rate skyrocketed from 2013 to 2023, even as the national rate began to decline.

The updated findings are compiled and published by Tennessee Under the Gun, a data transparency project of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus. Using CDC, FBI and state data for the year 2023, the most complete annual data available, the site provides the most comprehensive research available on gunshot wounds and fatalities in the state with detailed breakdowns by age, cause and county.

The new analysis shows Tennessee’s overall firearm fatality rate increased by 41% between 2013 and 2023, even as the national rate has declined for three consecutive years. During that same period, the youth firearm fatality rate more than doubled, making gunshot wounds the leading cause of death for Tennessee children and teenagers. In 2023, 96 youth died due to gunshot wounds.

“While states with common-sense gun safety laws are seeing fewer firearm deaths, Tennessee’s rates are accelerating because of a decade-long Republican experiment in deregulation,” said Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, whose office oversees the data initiative. “Republican lawmakers have torn down nearly every gun safety measure we once had—and the result is predictable: more shootings, more fatal suicides and more dead children.”

Tennessee now ranks 7th in the nation for overall firearm deaths — a measure that includes all forms of fatal gun violence, according to CDC data. In contrast, states like New York, Massachusetts and California, which have enacted reforms, such as universal background checks, safe storage laws and red-flag protections, maintain firearm fatality rates less than half of Tennessee’s.

Looking solely at homicides with a firearm between 2013 and 2023, Tennessee’s firearm homicide rate increased 97% from 4.76 per 100,000 residents to 9.36 per 100,000. Tennessee’s firearm homicide rate is now close to double the national average, ranking 6th highest among all states. In total, there were 667 firearm homicides in 2023, including 61 youth.

This escalation of gun violence has coincided with a dismantling of gun safety laws by the state’s controlling Republican Party. State laws that once required training, background checks and responsible safe storage for those going armed have been replaced with permitless carry laws and expanded carry zones—creating a climate where violent crime and gun deaths have surged together.

Youth firearm suicides surge 115%

A record number of Tennesseans, 878, took their own lives with a firearm in 2023, CDC data shows. Firearm suicides now account for more than half of all gun deaths in the state and the annual rate has climbed more than 18% since 2013. For youth, there were 27 firearm suicides in 2023, marking an alarming 115% increase from 2013 to 2023.

These trends underscore how easy access to firearms turns temporary crises into permanent tragedies.

Not solely an ‘urban’ problem

“The research is clear,” said Beth Joslin Roth, lead researcher for Tennessee Under the Gun. “When the Tennessee legislature weakened its gun laws, deaths from gunshot wounds increased. Some politicians like to blame our largest cities for gun violence, but the data tells a different story.”

Rural counties across Tennessee are just as dangerous as many big cities when it comes to firearm deaths. A county-by-county analysis included in the state Department of Health’s 2025 firearm injury and death report shows that many rural areas experienced firearm fatality rates more than twice as high as the national average from 2019 to 2023.

This pattern shatters the myth that gun violence is only an “urban” issue. It’s a statewide epidemic—driven by weak laws, widespread gun availability and a failure by the controlling political party to invest in prevention, intervention and mental health support.

While Tennessee has loosened its laws to the point of chaos, other states have demonstrated that gun violence can be reduced without infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens. States that have enacted common-sense gun safety reforms—like universal background checks, safe storage requirements and red flag laws—have seen steady declines in firearm deaths and injuries. These states have proven that protecting public safety and protecting constitutional rights are not mutually exclusive goals.

The data confirm what Tennesseans already feel: after more than a decade of unified Republican control, the state’s public safety has declined dramatically. Gun lobby priorities have replaced community safety, and firearm industry profits have come before the lives of children and families.

“In Tennessee, Republican lawmakers have made it easier for criminals to get guns—and harder for kids to grow up safe,” Sen. Campbell said.

About Tennessee Under the Gun
Tennessee Under the Gun is a data transparency initiative of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus. It compiles CDC, FBI, and state-level data to provide the most comprehensive analysis of firearm deaths and injuries in Tennessee—including breakdowns by age, cause, and county. The site aims to give Tennesseans the facts about how policy choices affect public safety and to promote evidence-based reforms that protect families and communities.

Visit the updated data dashboard at https://tnunderthegun.wixsite.com/tn-under-the-gun.

Click here to view the full report.

For more local news, click here.