More Houston kids are dying of gun violence

Following the Uvalde mass shooting, the Houston Chronicle analyzed Institute of Forensic Sciences data to determine the number of local children who were killed by gun violence so far this year.

19 children died in Uvalde. 19 children have also died in Houston, in various forms of gun violence, excluding suicides, so far in 2022.

They died after being shot in the chest and head. They died on the streets of Houston and in homes. Sometimes, they died feet away from their loved ones.

They all died before the age of 18.

We remember their lives and stories here.

As Texas and the nation reel from the latest mass shootings, including Uvalde, the deaths of children and teenagers in the Houston area offer a clear reminder that young people are affected by gun violence every day.

For kids, any exposure to such violence can reverberate for the rest of their lives. One researcher said some studies show the impact can present mental and physical health concerns immediately as well as years later in adulthood, ranging from not playing at a park down the street to lifelong trauma.

“The impact on children living with our nation’s gun violence crisis is just enormous,” she said, “and in some ways immeasurable.”

Read more on Houston's escalating gun violence and the toll it has taken on kids here.