According to the National Center for Health Statistics the Commonwealth came in at number 17 in the number of gun deaths, at nearly 14 percent of deaths being gun related. Two neighboring states also made the list, including number 13 West Virginia with just over 14 percent, and number 10 Tennessee with just over 15 percent. The report came to light in a CBS Article, which revealed that many of the states with the highest death rates do not require a permit to purchase firearms. Alaska topped the list with a rate of just under 20 percent.