INDIANAPOLIS — Nearly two weeks after the deadly school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, doctors are sounding the alarm over deadly gun violence impacting kids and teens.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows guns are the leading cause of death for young Americans. And it's a trend that's only climbed higher in recent years.
Dr. Brett Engbrecht, medical director for pediatric trauma with Ascension St. Vincent, said these numbers are heartbreaking, but not surprising.
"It's really a sad thing because many of these are potentially preventable," Engbrecht said.
Engbrecht said their team is ready around the clock to help kids, regardless of their injuries. But cases where kids come in with gunshot wounds are especially tough.
"They're somebody who has value and so it is sad. If we could prevent some of them and it's not just those that die, but those that are injured and survive still have consequences from that and long-term impacts," Engbrecht said. "So it is a sad thing."
Data from the CDC shows guns are now the leading cause of death in children and adolescents.
In 2020, guns killed more people under the age of 19 than car crashes, drug overdoses or cancer.
"It is shocking," Engbrecht said. "At the same time, those two lines of motor vehicle collisions and firearm deaths have been closing in on each other."
While improved safety with car seats and seatbelts has reduced car-related deaths, the number of deadly shootings has only climbed higher in recent years. And when children are shot, Engbrecht said those injuries can be more severe than for an adult.
“When a bullet hits somebody, it’s not just the actual bullet that causes injury but the energy that bullet creates can destroy tissue around it. So especially with high velocity bullets, those cause more extensive damage surrounding the area of where the bullet was. So in a small child, that injury pattern may hit many more organs,” Engbrecht said.
But, he said, many of those deaths have the ability to be prevented. And while the debate over exactly how to do that is controversial, Engbrecht said it's something that needs to happen to turn this deadly trend around.
"We don't want kids to get hurt, if we can prevent it," Engbrecht said. "And for those who do get injured, we want to take the best care of them we can."
Experts say education about the severity of the issue to families and parents is key. Engbrecht encourages adults to teach their kids about gun safety. If you keep firearms in the house, he said, make sure they're locked up and secured away so your child can't access it.
And if the worst should occur, take your child to a trauma center if possible, where experts are ready and trained to handle these kinds of injuries.