Were more preschoolers shot and killed in 2013 than police officers?

The Oregon shootings raise the question of what can be done to reduce the frequency of gun violence. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof argued in favor of smaller steps that might enjoy public support, such as requiring safe storage at home and a 10-year ban for anyone convicted of domestic violence or assault.

Kristof said the country would do well to tackle this problem as a matter of public health. To drive home that point, he made a grim comparison.

“In America, more preschoolers are shot dead each year (82 in 2013) than police officers are in the line of duty (27 in 2013), according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FBI,” Kristof wrote in an Oct. 3, 2015 op-ed.

A reader asked us to see if that was accurate. 

Read the fact-check to see our rating.