Nearly twice as many children in the U.S. died of gun death than cancer in 2016, a recent study says. Photo by bg_knight/Shutterstock

Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Nearly twice as many children in the U.S. died of gun death than cancer in 2016, a recent study says.

Researchers from the University of Michigan conducted a study, published Thursday in New England Journal of Medicine, that found a 28 percent spike in firearm death rates, while homicides from guns increased by 32 percent between 2013 and 2016.


"In recent decades, there has been progress, but the United States is clearly not effectively protecting its children," Dr. Edward Campion wrote in an editorial published with the new study. "Firearm injury, the second leading cause of death, is only a minor contributor to childhood mortality in other developed countries."

Overall, 20,360 children died in 2016, the researchers report.

At 4,074, car crashes caused more deaths than anything else. But more than 3,143 of those deaths were from gun violence, while only 1,853 died from cancer.

Gun deaths are particularly troubling for young black males, who are twice as likely to die from gun deaths at young white males. And for some experts, the reason is simple.

"Without a doubt, easy access to guns drives the homicide rate in the United States. This is such a fundamental issue to address through gun safety programs that are effective and widespread," Dr. Thomas Weiser told CNN.