A shocking new study has uncovered that pregnant women in the United States face significantly higher risks of being killed by firearms compared to women who are not pregnant. The research reveals a disturbing trend where homicide has become the primary cause of death for expectant mothers.
The Tragic Reality Behind the Statistics
The heartbreaking story of Francesca Harris-Scarborough illustrates this alarming reality. On April 9, 2020, her mother Shirley Scarborough received the devastating news that her youngest daughter had been killed. Francesca, who was three months pregnant at the time, was found shot twice in the heart with her car still running.
"I wasn't ready for it. I lost control of everything," Shirley Scarborough recalled. "Everything went blank." Her daughter's death represents a broader national crisis affecting pregnant women across the country.
Comprehensive Research Findings
The study, published on Monday, November 10 in the prestigious journal JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from more than 7,000 homicides of women of childbearing age occurring between 2018 and 2021. The results were startling: pregnant women experienced a 37% higher firearm homicide rate than their non-pregnant counterparts.
Even more concerning, the research showed that more than two-thirds of pregnancy-associated homicides involved firearms. The presence of guns dramatically increases the risk of intimate partner homicide, with the study finding that every 1% increase in state-level firearm ownership correlated with a 6% increase in all-cause homicide and an 8% increase in firearm-specific homicide rates among pregnant women.
Dr. Lois Lee, the study's co-author and a senior faculty adviser at Harvard Medical School, explained the significance of these findings. "It was really not surprising, if you think about it, that if firearms are more available, then that certainly does increase your risk of homicide in general," she stated.
Preventable Tragedy and Policy Solutions
Dr. Lee emphasized the preventable nature of these deaths compared to medical complications during pregnancy. "This is predictable and potentially preventable," she noted, contrasting firearm violence with conditions like eclampsia and sepsis that are more challenging to prevent despite medical advances.
The research identified that the highest proportion of homicides in pregnant women occurred among those aged 20 to 24 years, while among non-pregnant women, the peak risk age was 25 to 29. Black women represented the majority of homicide victims, regardless of pregnancy status.
These findings point to broader systemic issues, as Dr. Lee explained: "These risks of homicide during pregnancy are shaped not just by individual factors but by broader systems of inequity and structural racism." She stressed that solutions must extend beyond individual levels to include urgent policy changes.
The study authors recommend implementing safe storage laws and expanding domestic violence firearm prohibitions. Dr. Kelly Roskam from Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions highlighted the importance of requiring people to surrender firearms during emergency protective orders, noting that the initial stage of obtaining protective orders is often the most dangerous period for victims of intimate partner violence.
In response to her daughter's death, Shirley Scarborough established a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women affected by domestic violence and abuse. She reflected that her daughter's death "has really been my teacher" in understanding the urgent need for action and support for vulnerable women.
