Featured Stories
WNMU Teacher Prep Programs Earn Highest 'A+' Grades in National Reading Instruction Review
SILVER CITY, New Mexico, July 11 (TNSxrep) -- Western New Mexico University posted the following news release:
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WNMU Teacher Prep Programs Earn Highest 'A+' Grades in National Reading Instruction Review
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The Western New Mexico University undergraduate and graduate elementary teacher preparation programs have earned top honors for rigorous preparation in the Science of Reading. The National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research and policy organization, released its 2026 Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation report today, highlighting the top-performing
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SILVER CITY, New Mexico, July 11 (TNSxrep) -- Western New Mexico University posted the following news release:
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WNMU Teacher Prep Programs Earn Highest 'A+' Grades in National Reading Instruction Review
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The Western New Mexico University undergraduate and graduate elementary teacher preparation programs have earned top honors for rigorous preparation in the Science of Reading. The National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research and policy organization, released its 2026 Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation report today, highlighting the top-performinginstitutions nationwide.
WNMU emerged as a national leader in educator development, with two distinct tracks earning the coveted "A+" grade in Reading. Those tracks are the university's Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and the Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education with Certification. The evaluations place WNMU among an elite group of higher education institutions nationwide recognized for incorporating evidence-based reading methodologies comprehensively into their curricula.
NCTQ's Teacher Prep Review: Decoding Progress in Reading Preparation evaluates how more than 700 national teacher prep programs train future elementary teachers in reading instruction. Key findings reveal that programs earning an "A" grade increased from 26% in 2023 to 53% in 2026. However, 47% still fail to prepare teachers in all five core components of the science of reading (comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary), and 20% still teach debunked, ineffective, or harmful methods. Furthermore, most programs offer insufficient preparation for supporting struggling readers (such as students with dyslexia), English learners, and other vulnerable groups. Implementing effective reading instruction could enable over 1 million additional students to read proficiently by fourth grade each year.
The National Council on Teacher Quality evaluates programs based on their coverage of the five core components of effective reading instruction established by decades of cognitive science research. To achieve an A+ distinction. While the program covers all five core components of scientifically based reading instruction with minimal contrary practices, work remains. Programs should review course-level findings to identify gaps and strengthen preparation. Notably, even most A-rated programs still fail to fully prepare candidates to meet the needs of diverse learners, including English learners, struggling readers, and speakers of English language varieties other than General American English.
"Our Reading Program has worked hard to align coursework with new mandates and requirements under Science of Reading and Structured Literacy. We were recognized by NMPED last fall as having exemplary programs," Associate Professor of Reading and Literacy Catherine Gregorius, Ph.D., said. "We are committed to preparing teachers who know how to teach reading well and support reading development for all New Mexico students K-12. Our reading coursework currently exceeds the scope of what the NCTQ requires hoping to instill a joy for reading and lifelong literacy. We know that we can improve reading achievement and literacy development with knowledgeable, caring teachers, and attention to language development that is the foundation for literacy."
The National Council on Teacher Quality review process involves a detailed analysis of course syllabi, lecture schedules, textbooks, mandatory reading lists, assignments, and examination frameworks. Among hundreds of postsecondary teacher preparation programs reviewed across the United States, only a select few earned top-tier marks, underscoring the Western New Mexico University Double A+ designation.
Prospective students, public school administrators, and community stakeholders can access detailed performance data, criterion breakdowns, and individual institutional scorecards via the official National Council on Teacher Quality portal, available on live program score pages.
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Original text here: https://wnmu.edu/wnmu-teacher-prep-programs-earn-highest-a-grades-in-national-reading-instruction-review/
VCOM Celebrates Humanism in Medical Mentors
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, July 11 -- VCOM - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine issued the following news:
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VCOM Celebrates Humanism in Medical Mentors
By Lily Collins
On June 17, VCOM-Carolinas proudly recognized two outstanding resident physicians for their commitment to humanism, teaching, and patient-centered care through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award (HETA).
Presented by VCOM-Carolinas discipline chair for pediatrics, Hanna Sahhar, MD, the award honors residents who exemplify compassion, mentorship, and excellence in clinical teaching.
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BLACKSBURG, Virginia, July 11 -- VCOM - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine issued the following news:
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VCOM Celebrates Humanism in Medical Mentors
By Lily Collins
On June 17, VCOM-Carolinas proudly recognized two outstanding resident physicians for their commitment to humanism, teaching, and patient-centered care through the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Award (HETA).
Presented by VCOM-Carolinas discipline chair for pediatrics, Hanna Sahhar, MD, the award honors residents who exemplify compassion, mentorship, and excellence in clinical teaching.Uniquely, HETA recipients are nominated by medical students, reflecting the meaningful impact these physicians have on VCOM learners during clinical training.
This year, Whitney Cody, DO, and Chandler Kaufmann, DO, were recognized with Arnold P. Gold Foundation certificates during the 2026 Spartanburg Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Awards & Recognition Ceremony.
Student nominations highlighted the lasting influence both residents have had on medical education. Dr. Kaufmann was praised for going "out of his way to find and expose medical students to unique learning opportunities and procedures," while also modeling compassionate, evidence-based patient care.
Dr. Cody was recognized for creating a "supportive and welcoming learning environment" and for consistently going above and beyond to ensure the success of students and colleagues. Nominations described a dependable and encouraging presence who prioritizes both patient care and team success.
Dr. Cody, a graduate of Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Dr. Kaufmann, a graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, reflect the values at the heart of VCOM's mission: developing physicians who combine clinical excellence with empathy, professionalism, and a commitment to service.
Through their leadership and dedication to teaching, both honorees exemplify the principles of humanistic medicine and the powerful role residents play in shaping the next generation of physicians.
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Original text here: https://www.vcom.edu/news/2026/07/10/vcom-celebrates-humanism-medical-mentors
UNM Biology faculty receives prestigious research award
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, July 11 -- The University of New Mexico posted the following news:
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UNM Biology faculty receives prestigious research award
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Fernando Machado-Stredel, a postdoctoral fellow in The University of New Mexico Department of Biology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Florence Merriam Bailey Publication Award from the American Ornithological Society.
Fernando Machado-Stredel, postdoctoral fellow, UNM Department of Biology
This award recognizes an outstanding article published in Ornithology or Ornithological Applications by an early-career researcher
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ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, July 11 -- The University of New Mexico posted the following news:
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UNM Biology faculty receives prestigious research award
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Fernando Machado-Stredel, a postdoctoral fellow in The University of New Mexico Department of Biology, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Florence Merriam Bailey Publication Award from the American Ornithological Society.
Fernando Machado-Stredel, postdoctoral fellow, UNM Department of Biology
This award recognizes an outstanding article published in Ornithology or Ornithological Applications by an early-career researcherwithin the past two years. It is named after Florence Merriam Bailey, a pioneering ornithologist and conservationist whose work during the late 19th and early 20th centuries helped establish modern bird study in North America.
Machado-Stredel was recognized for his 2024 paper, The Roles of Abiotic and Biotic Factors in Driving Range Shifts: An Invasive Pomacea Snail Facilitates Rostrhamus sociabilis (Snail Kite) Northward Range Expansion. The article examines the Snail Kite and how changes in the bird's bill morphology, together with its relationship with an invasive snail species, have contributed to the species' northward range expansion in Florida.
In his research, Machado-Stredel and his collaborators discovered how the endangered Snail Kite has recently expanded its range into northern Florida by following the spread of an invasive apple snail. As the birds' ecological habits shifted toward consuming this larger, more abundant prey, they also developed larger bills that make feeding on the invasive snails more feasible.
The Snail Kite handling Pomacea snails. Photo credit: Alex Wallace
Using several ecological modeling approaches, Machado-Stredel and his team deduced that climate conditions in the bird's historical habitat in Florida have remained largely unchanged over time, suggesting that climate is not entirely responsible for the northward expansion. Although native snails have long been present in northern Florida, suitable wetland habitat has historically been limited, preventing Snail Kites from establishing stable populations there.
Over the past 15 years, Snail Kites have expanded their range by approximately 175 km (109 miles) north of their previous limits in the Kissimmee River Valley. During this time, the birds' bill size increased in parallel with their northward expansion, indicating that larger bills may have allowed the birds to more readily consume the invasive snails and successfully thrive in these new ecosystems.
Fernando Machado-Stredel is an evolutionary biologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in 2023. His research focuses on how animals evolve and adapt to their environments over time, with a particular emphasis on birds. Using data analysis and computer models, he studies how species spread to new areas, respond to environmental change, and evolve across different landscapes and time periods.
Machado-Stredel presenting his research
In addition to his appointment in the Department of Biology, Machado-Stredel is a participant in the Faculty Forward Postdocs and Visiting Scholars Program through UNM's Division for Change and Empowerment (DiCE), which supports the recruitment, development and success of outstanding scholars from a wide range of backgrounds across the university. He received the People's Choice Award for his poster at the annual New Mexico Postdoc Research Symposium in March 2026.
The American Ornithological Society will recognize the 2026 award recipients during its annual meeting in Amherst, Mass., this August.
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Original text here: https://news.unm.edu/news/unm-biology-faculty-receives-prestigious-research-award
Scrubbing bubbles: Microparticles clean wounds, surgical instruments with tiny bubbles
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois, July 11 (TNSjou) -- The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus issued the following news:
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Scrubbing bubbles: Microparticles clean wounds, surgical instruments with tiny bubbles
Newly developed microparticles can infiltrate stubborn bacterial matrices and release tiny oxygen bubbles to clean surfaces and wounds more efficiently than hydrogen peroxide or other cleaning agents alone, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report. In two papers they demonstrated the bubble-generating particles' ability to clean tenacious biofilms from surgical
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CHAMPAIGN, Illinois, July 11 (TNSjou) -- The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus issued the following news:
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Scrubbing bubbles: Microparticles clean wounds, surgical instruments with tiny bubbles
Newly developed microparticles can infiltrate stubborn bacterial matrices and release tiny oxygen bubbles to clean surfaces and wounds more efficiently than hydrogen peroxide or other cleaning agents alone, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report. In two papers they demonstrated the bubble-generating particles' ability to clean tenacious biofilms from surgicalinstruments and, when embedded within bandages, to clean infected wounds and speed healing.
"Biofilms are a dense matrix of bacterial cells and proteins. While sterilizing agents can kill bacteria, the matrix protects them, making it much harder to treat or clean with chemicals. For example, hydrogen peroxide has been used for centuries but only cleanses the surface and does not penetrate the film," said Illinois chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Hyunjoon Kong, the research team's leader. "We take a mechanical approach: Our particles infiltrate the biofilm first and then generate bubbles inside the matrix, disrupting it."
Kong's group developed tiny cylinders made of biosilica coated in manganese dioxide, a catalyst which releases tiny oxygen bubbles when exposed to a hydrogen peroxide solution. The bubbles accumulate within the hollow cylinder, then are released, propelling the microparticles even deeper into the matrix where they continue to produce bubbles, said graduate student Joo Hun Lee, the first author of the first paper. The researchers watched the bubbles form and rupture, the particles move and biofilm disperse using high-speed cameras and Optical Coherence Tomography in collaboration with Stephen Boppart, a U. of I. professor of bioengineering and professor of biomedical and translational sciences in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine.
As well as describing the microparticles in the first paper, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, the researchers demonstrated the microparticles' ability to clean stubborn biofilms from surgical instruments.
While the standard method of cleaning surgical tools involves enzymatic detergents combined with autoclaving -a process using steam at high heat and pressure -biofilms can stubbornly cling to tiny crevasses or serrations in the tools, Lee said.
The Illinois team compared the biofilms remaining within the serrations of surgical instruments after the typical protocol with those remaining after treatment with the microparticles. They found a similar or better efficacy with the microparticles. As an additional boost, the microparticle cleaning can be combined with autoclaving, Kong said.
"We show a five-fold reduction in remaining biofilm with our particles at higher temperature. And then on top of that, we saw that in the teeth of forceps -a model surgical instrument -the enzymatic surfactant does not easily go into confined areas and cannot remove the bacterial film from those areas. But with our particle system, we actually could remove the films in those spaces. That's a huge difference," Kong said.
In the second paper, published in the journal Advanced Science, the researchers embedded the microparticles into bandages to dress persistent wounds, another place where biofilms frequently form.
"Chronic wounds affect millions of patients, including about 10.5 million Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, and biofilms are found in 60-80% of chronic wounds," Kong said.
The researchers embedded the microparticles in the bandages beneath a mesh that steadily releases hydrogen peroxide, activating the particles. They called the bandage assembly a "microblasting wound dressing," as it localizes the microbubble generation at the wound site, continually blasting the wound surface with tiny scrubbing bubbles, said postdoctoral researcher Yujin Ahn, the first author of the paper.
Just as with the surgical instruments, the microparticles and the bubbles they generated dislodged complex biofilms on the wound surface. On mouse wounds with antibiotic-resistant films of the kinds seen often in human patients, the microblasting wound dressing greatly reduced the biofilm present and accelerated healing, with reduced inflammation and skin and hair regrowth, Ahn said. It also enabled antibiotics to penetrate the disrupted biofilm, preventing regrowth even at antibiotic doses ten times lower than standard.
"The central lesson from this work is that treatment-resistant wounds can be understood as a biofilm problem," Kong said. "Dense polymicrobial biofilm matrices limit drug penetration and shield bacteria from therapy. By confining self-propelling bubble generators beneath a hydrogen peroxide-releasing mesh, we remove the biofilm barrier, improving antibiotic efficacy while reducing inflammation during wound healing."
Next, the researchers plan to test their microparticle technology on cleaning surgical endoscopes, whose inner hollow tubes make for very difficult cleaning, as well as applying the bandages to chronic wounds in large animals, Ahn said. The researchers also have obtained a patent for the bubble-generating microparticle technology and are working with partners to explore manufacturing at larger scales.
"We think this has many applications, both clinical and industrial. Biofilms form in many places, and this is a technology that can disrupt them mechanically without harsh chemicals or special equipment," Kong said.
The U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago and the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy supported this work.
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Original text here: https://news.illinois.edu/scrubbing-bubbles-microparticles-clean-wounds-surgical-instruments-with-tiny-bubbles/
Research for the Gut: 3 Ways Baylor University Researchers Promote Microbiome Health
WACO, Texas, July 11 -- Baylor University issued the following news:
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Research for the Gut: 3 ways Baylor researchers promote microbiome health
At first glance, it's not a pleasant image to consider: Billions of bacteria, fungi and viruses live in the gut of every human. While that may sound bad, these collections -- unique to every human -- play an oversized role in human health. Their sheer scope makes them challenging to study, but the benefits of understanding them can help individuals with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, cancer and more.
It's a field of knowledge that Baylor
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WACO, Texas, July 11 -- Baylor University issued the following news:
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Research for the Gut: 3 ways Baylor researchers promote microbiome health
At first glance, it's not a pleasant image to consider: Billions of bacteria, fungi and viruses live in the gut of every human. While that may sound bad, these collections -- unique to every human -- play an oversized role in human health. Their sheer scope makes them challenging to study, but the benefits of understanding them can help individuals with ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, cancer and more.
It's a field of knowledge that Baylorresearchers are expanding through a focus on different aspects of the human microbiome -- the overall collection of microorganisms found throughout the body in areas such as the gastrointestinal tract. Baylor's strength in the field of microbiome research is rapidly growing, promoting ways to help humans enjoy healthier guts, which in turn promotes healthier people.
Here are three questions Baylor professors seek to answer through their research:
Can the microbes in your gut help prevent colorectal cancer? With early-onset colorectal cancer on the rise, Dr. Leigh Greathouse, associate professor of nutrition sciences and affiliate professor of biology, is digging into the connection between vitamin D, the gut microbiome and cancer prevention. Her research explores why vitamin D appears to protect against colorectal cancer and which beneficial microbes may play a role in that protection. By uncovering those biological clues, Greathouse (herself a cancer survivor) hopes to lay the groundwork for future probiotic-enhanced, food-based approaches that could help reduce cancer risk, particularly for people who are vitamin D-deficient.
What if a child's gut bacteria could help identify malnutrition before the effects become visible? That possibility is studied by Dr. Jake Minich (pictured above), assistant professor of biology, who pursues ways to combat childhood undernutrition around the world. Using a first-of-its-kind approach to capture complete gut microbiome genomes, Minich and his team analyzed children in Malawi over the course of nearly a year, recovering almost 1,000 bacterial genomes. Their findings showed that children with healthy growth maintained more stable bacterial communities, while children experiencing slower growth saw those populations change over time. The work suggests the gut microbiome may one day serve as an early warning system for children at risk of undernutrition.
Why do the same treatments work well for some patients with digestive disorders but not for others? According to Dr. Aaron Wright, Baylor's Schofield Endowed Chair in Biomedical Science, part of the answer may lie in the unique collection of microbes living inside each person's gut. Because every microbiome is different, treatments for conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome can produce very different results from one patient to the next. Wright is part of a $5.6 million National Institutes of Health-funded team, collaborating with researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine to develop personalized microbiome-based therapies tailored to an individual's specific gut environment. Their goal is to help move medicine beyond one-size-fits-all treatments and toward therapies designed for the patient, not just the disease.
These are just a few examples of microbiome research at Baylor, with more to come as researchers like these three (two of whom have joined Baylor in the last four years) continue to expand their work, collaborate and address these challenges.
Sic 'em, Baylor microbiome research!
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Original text here: https://www2.baylor.edu/baylorproud/2026/07/research-for-the-gut-3-ways-baylor-researchers-promote-microbiome-health/
Q&A With Case Western Reserve Medical Anthropologist Megan Schmidt-Sane on Lessons From Ongoing Ebola Outbreak
CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 11 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following Q&A on July 10, 2026, involving Megan Schmidt-Sane, assistant professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences:
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Beyond the virus: How social science shapes the response to Ebola outbreaks
Q&A with Case Western Reserve University medical anthropologist Megan Schmidt-Sane on lessons from the ongoing Ebola outbreak
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As health officials respond to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor of Anthropology Megan Schmidt-Sane,
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CLEVELAND, Ohio, July 11 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following Q&A on July 10, 2026, involving Megan Schmidt-Sane, assistant professor of anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences:
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Beyond the virus: How social science shapes the response to Ebola outbreaks
Q&A with Case Western Reserve University medical anthropologist Megan Schmidt-Sane on lessons from the ongoing Ebola outbreak
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As health officials respond to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor of Anthropology Megan Schmidt-Sane,PhD, (GRS '20, anthropology) is examining the social and behavioral factors that shape how communities experience and respond to public health emergencies.
Schmidt-Sane, a medical anthropologist with a background in public health, recently contributed to two policy briefs on lessons from social and behavioral science research that can inform the response to the current outbreak. Her work explores how community trust, cultural practices and local perspectives influence the success of public health efforts.
In this Q&A, Schmidt-Sane discusses what the current outbreak means for communities in the DRC and beyond, and why understanding the human side of public health is essential during times of crisis.
For readers who may not be following this closely, what should they know about the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC? How does it compare to previous Ebola outbreaks?
The main issue is that this is a less common species of the Ebola virus, Bundibugyo, and so there are no available vaccines or therapeutics. The diagnostic capability is limited as well. The outbreak center is in a gold mining area of Ituri Province in Eastern DRC, where there are multiple non-state armed groups operating, internally displaced people and a population that is strongly linked to communities across the Ugandan border--all of which makes it a challenging context to work in. However, you also have the best Ebola scientists in the world in DRC and Uganda, and they are building on past experiences.
Your policy brief emphasizes social and behavioral science lessons. Why are social factors just as important as medical interventions during an Ebola outbreak?
The medical interventions will not work without knowledge of social and cultural context. To get a vaccine (when vaccines are available) or to convince people to tell health workers that their loved one may have symptoms of Ebola--these are all social issues, not medical ones. The World Health Organization (WHO) itself has stated that the success of the outbreak response hinges on public health measures as there are limited medical countermeasures available. This is where the social piece comes in, though it is too often overlooked, and we seem not to have learnt from COVID-19.
How do local cultural practices, community networks and everyday realities shape how people respond to public health guidance?
People are complicated and their cultural, religious, social and economic needs are just as important as their health needs, which we too often forget in public health. People view public health guidance through their cultural lens--how they feel about safe burials or vaccines, for example. We learned during the West Africa Ebola epidemic that safe burials without the consultation of community and religious leaders will not work and will not have community buy-in. People started resisting safe burials--not because of the Ebola risk, but because safe burials did not respect religious needs and ceremonies. But culture can change. When anthropologists started working with communities, safe and dignified burials were designed to meet both medical and cultural needs. In DRC, we are also seeing resistance to safe burials, but there is a need to design burials with communities to build trust in the process.
What does this outbreak teach us about global health preparedness and our interconnected world?
Preparedness is a vital investment--we cannot rely on response to public health emergencies alone. It is often too late to contain outbreaks, and so it's important to invest in preparedness that puts communities at the center. Otherwise, communities are rightly skeptical if public health attention is only brought during an outbreak. In Eastern DRC, people have asked where the money and attention was for other ongoing problems like malnutrition or conflict.
The WHO declared this outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What does that designation mean in practice?
It means that a great deal of resources can and will be mustered, including coordination efforts at the global level. Africa CDC has declared this as a continental emergency which is also important. It means that all of these emergency response centers are activated, enabling more coordination and information sharing, as well as a heightened response.
Looking ahead, what gives you hope as communities, researchers and health professionals work to bring this outbreak under control?
The news coverage in the US has focused on the US absence in the response--our withdrawal from the WHO, the closure of the United States Agency for International Development--and it is also spreading panic. This situation is rightly concerning, but the narrative centers the expertise of US public health responders and sidelines the importance of people working locally in DRC and neighboring countries like Uganda. They are the ones who are on the frontlines of the response, including large numbers of volunteer community health workers who are quite literally putting their lives at risk. US funding should come through, but the paradigm for our engagement must change from a US-centered effort to one that uplifts and supports African scientists and communities in their response efforts.
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/beyond-virus-how-social-science-shapes-response-ebola-outbreaks
Johns Hopkins: Declining Gun Homicides, Record Gun Suicides in 2024
BALTIMORE, Maryland, July 11 -- Johns Hopkins University issued the following news:
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Declining gun homicides, record gun suicides in 2024
Analysis of CDC data by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions finds increases in rates among certain demographics, particularly Black females
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Nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died by gun violence in 2024--one person every 12 minutes, on average--and an all-time high of 27,593 died by firearm suicide, according to the latest annual firearm mortality report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
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BALTIMORE, Maryland, July 11 -- Johns Hopkins University issued the following news:
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Declining gun homicides, record gun suicides in 2024
Analysis of CDC data by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions finds increases in rates among certain demographics, particularly Black females
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Nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died by gun violence in 2024--one person every 12 minutes, on average--and an all-time high of 27,593 died by firearm suicide, according to the latest annual firearm mortality report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins BloombergSchool of Public Health.
The report, "The Firearm Mortality Epidemic: Examining the U.S. Data from 2024", analyzes 2024 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It finds that guns were involved in the deaths of 44,447 people in the U.S. in 2024--down 5% from 2023. The overall decrease in gun fatalities in 2024 was largely due to a 15.8% drop in the homicide rate, with 15,364 homicides in 2024.
The vast majority of gun deaths--about 86% total--were among males. The report also highlights the increasing rate of gun deaths among females over the past decade, especially among those who are non-white. The report finds the gun homicide rate for Black females--measured as the number of cases per 100,000 population--rose by 63% from 2015 to 2024.
"As this report highlights, deadly gun violence is happening at a large rate affecting all populations," says study lead author Rose Kim, assistant policy advisor at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
The center issues an annual report analyzing the latest available CDC death-certificate data on gun-related causes of death for U.S. residents. The report uses the CDC's categories: suicides, homicides, legal intervention (police-involved gun fatalities), unintentional, or undetermined intent.
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Key Takeaways
* Nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died by gun violence in 2024, down 5% from 2023.
* An all-time high of 27,593 died by firearm suicide.
* The vast majority of gun deaths--about 86% total--were among males.
* The overall decrease in gun fatalities in 2024 was largely due to a 15.8% drop in the homicide rate, with 15,364 homicides in 2024.
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Gun deaths per year in the U.S. peaked at 48,830 in 2021, amid the social disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have been decreasing slowly since then. The 2024 figure of 44,447 gun deaths represents a roughly 9% decline from that peak. However, gun deaths remain higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Overall, gun violence remains the leading cause of death for young people ages 1-17 in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year, with 2,214 gun deaths total, according to the report. For some specific youth age groups, firearms were among the leading causes, but not always the top cause: There were 119 deaths among ages 1-4, 98 among ages 5-9, 450 among ages 10-14, and 1,547 among ages 15-17.
Certain demographics have experienced much higher increases in gun violence over the past decade. For Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino females, gun homicide rates increased from 2015 to 2024--39% and 31%, respectively, compared to with a 2% increase among white females. Gun suicide rates also increased over that period, by 169% among Black females, 57% among Hispanic/Latino females, and 51% among Asian or Pacific Islander females--compared with just 4% for white females.
The Center for Gun Violence Solutions recommends a mix of evidence-based policy measures, including community violence intervention programs focusing on high-risk individuals, and stricter laws on firearm purchaser licensing and domestic violence protection orders to prevent deaths from gun violence.
"We can save lives and address this crisis through a comprehensive public health approach pushing for equitable, evidence-based policies and programs that address multiple forms of gun injury and death," says Cassandra Crifasi, co-director of the center and senior author of the report.
"The Firearm Mortality Epidemic: Examining the U.S. Data from 2024" was co-authored by Rose Kim, Elizabeth Wagner, Nandita Somayaji, Silvia Villarreal, and Cassandra Crifasi.
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Original text here: https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/07/10/declining-gun-homicides-record-gun-suicides-2024/
