“The mass shootings we hear about on the news are just the tip of the iceberg of gun violence in the U.S.,” said Jonathan Jay, a professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health. “Any time you see that level of mortality and injuries and the burden of trauma, you are looking at a public health crisis.”

Data from the CDC showed that in 2021 Massachusetts had the least number of gun-related fatalities of any other state. Jay said if you look further into the data, you will find that despite its low per capita gun fatalities, Massachusetts has one of the largest disparities between white and Black fatalities due to gun violence.

“It shows us Massachusetts has a lot of resources and a good starting place, but we need to do more to reduce those inequities,” Jay said.