The first group had 253 accidental firearm deaths among the young.

It dealt with the rate of firearm deaths among all Americans aged 1 to 34 and focused on 1988, the last year for which complete statistics were available.

In that year, the study said, 17,249 firearm deaths occurred among people from 1 to 34, 15 percent of all deaths among such people.

Moreover, the Justice Department figures omit the even greater number of firearm deaths through accidental shootings and suicides each year by young people under 25.

Men are more likely than women to both use and own firearms, which could account for the higher rates of firearm death among males.

For children 1 to 9 years old, homicide and unintentional shooting deaths each accounted for about half of all firearm deaths.

In New York, pistols account for 95 percent of firearm deaths.

We're number one in firearm deaths.

And firearm deaths are increasing faster among that age group than in any other.

The rate of firearm deaths for the metropolitan statistical area, however, was one-fifth of the city rate.