The information came from the records of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. During this period the office performed 32,400 autopsies, of which 45 were deaths on children due to firearms injuries. Results revealed that homicidal shootings predominated (69 percent) in this age group; the most common circumstance was that a child was struck by a stray bullet or shot intentionally by an adult. When the death was accidental (31 percent), the fatal incident always occurred when one or more children were playing with a gun they found in the home. Figures, photograph, and 33 references (Author abstract modified)