Impact of gun violence.

In our societal focus on gun mortality, we lose sight of the long-term effects of these injuries, including the cost and treatment burden that victims and their families incur and, in fact, the nation at large. Measuring the impact of gun violence by mortality rate alone is a gross underestimation of its true impact. While the debate on how to reduce rate of gun violence continues, it is imperative that we make every endeavor to ensure that victims of gun violence receive the care they need to reduce disability and morbidity. It is crucial that we prevent firearm-related deaths, and we must address the sequelae of these injuries and the casualties that these injuries bring the opportunities and livelihoods of the survivors of gun violence.