The Impact of State Firearm Laws on Homicide and Suicide Deaths in the USA, 1991–2016: a Panel Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Firearm injuries are a major cause of mortality in the USA. Few recent studies have simultaneously examined the impact of multiple state gun laws to determine their independent association with homicide and suicide rates. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between state firearm laws and overall homicide and suicide rates at the state level across all 50 states over a 26-year period. DESIGN: Using a panel design, we analyzed the relationship between 10 state firearm laws and total, ageadjusted homicide and suicide rates from 1991 to 2016 in a difference-indifferences , fixed effects, multivariable regression model. There were 1222 observations for homicide analyses and 1300 observations for suicide analyses. PARTICIPANTS: Populations of all US states. MAIN MEASURES: The outcome measures were the annual age-adjusted rates of homicide and suicide in each state during the period 1991-2016. We controlled for a wide range of state-level factors. KEY RESULTS: Universal background checks were associated with a 14.9% (95% CI, 5.2-23.6%) reduction in overall homicide rates, violent misdemeanor laws were associated with a 18.1% (95% CI, 8.1-27.1%) reduction in homicide, and Bshall issue^laws were associated with a 9.0% (95% CI, 1.1-17.4%) increase in homicide. These laws were significantly associated only with firearmrelated homicide rates, not non-firearm-related homicide rates. None of the other laws examined were consistently related to overall homicide or suicide rates. CONCLUSIONS: We found a relationship between the enactment of two types of state firearm laws and reductions in homicide over time. However, further research is necessary to determine whether these associations are causal ones.

The Impact of State Firearm Laws on Homicide Rates in Suburban and Rural Areas Compared to Large Cities in the United States, 1991‐2016

“…We lagged the state laws by 1 year so that the impact of these laws was assessed starting in the first full year they were in effect, not when the law was enacted, following the approach of Lott and Mustard. 36 Based on previous research, we selected 6 laws for analysis: (1) universal background checks for all guns at point-of-sale 37,38 ; (2) permits required to purchase or possess any firearm 12,39,40 ; (3) ban on firearm possession by people convicted of a violent misdemeanor 41,42 ; (4) stringent "may issue" laws ("may issue" laws that require the concealed carry permit applicant to make a heightened showing of having a need to carry a concealed firearm) 12,41,43,44 ; (5) "stand your ground" laws 45,46 ; and (6) ban on gun trafficking 47 (Table 2).…”

The impact of gun violence restraining order laws in the U.S. and firearm suicide among older adults: a longitudinal state-level analysis, 2012–2016

“…drug ingestion). Fewer studies have looked at the impact of specific subtypes of firearm laws on suicide, although universal background checks and violent misdemeanor laws have not been shown to be related to overall suicide rates [17].…”

Network analysis of firearm movement among US states

“…Studies on rearm laws and rearm-related violence have focused on the association between the rates of rearm-related violence within the state and the aggregate number (1) or categories of state-level rearm laws (2)(3)(4)(5)(6). A recent systematic review found that stronger state-level rearm laws are associated with reductions in rearm-related homicide rates; however, it also found inconclusive and con icting results for many of the different categories of laws (7).…”