Gun deaths surged during the pandemic's first year, according to the CDC. Gun-related deaths in the United States rose to the highest level ever recorded in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 45,222 people dying from a gun-related injury. Suicide and murder accounted for most deaths-54% and 43%, respectively. Gun murders showed the steepest increase-rising 34% from the year before, which also represents the largest recorded one-year jump. Experts believe the increase in rates of gun deaths are, in part, a reflection of the stress of the societal and economic disruptions of the pandemic. However, the increases cannot be entirely attributed to the first year of COVID-19, as gun violence has been trending upward over time. Gun homicides have risen 75% over 10 years. Active shooter incidents-defined by the FBI as "one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area," increased from three to 40 between 2000 and 2020 and jumped 53% to 61 in 2021. Early data from 2021 indicate an acceleration in the upward trend in gun homicides, with expectations it will surpass 2020 as the worst year on record.