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These Are the States with the Most Gun Violence

Monday, October 12, 2015

 

 

After the recent mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon, President Barack Obama made a statement from the White House, rattling off the names of other communities where similar gun violence has occurred.

Columbine, Virginia Tech, Ft. Hood, Tucson, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Navy Yard, Isla Vista, Charleston and now Roseburg – all have become familiar touchstones in America’s complex relationship with guns, violence and regulations.

As he has done previously, Obama asserted that the Roseburg shootings meant Congress and state governments need to reexamine laws that deal with gun safety and background checks.

Using data from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Campaign, InsideGov looked at how gun laws differ by state. The two groups, which both advocate for more effective gun laws, rate states on a scale of 0 to 100 according to how stringent their firearm laws are, with 0 being not strict and 100 being the strictest.

 

 

As the above map shows, East Coast states tend to have higher scores when it comes to gun laws. Of the top six states with the highest scores for strictness of gun laws, five are along the northeastern part of the country: Connecticut (84), New Jersey (82.5), Maryland (80.5), New York (79.5) and Massachusetts (74.5). But the highest overall mark goes to California, which clocks in at a score of 89. According to the Law Center, California requires all firearm sales go through a licensed dealer, and people purchasing a gun undergo background checks, a safety certificate process and a written test. The state also limits people from buying more than one handgun per month and keeps records of gun sales.

On the other end of the spectrum, the four states with the lowest scores are Arizona (6), Alaska (7), Wyoming (9) and South Dakota (9.5). Three states – Kansas, Mississippi and Vermont – tie for fifth place, with a score of 10. On its page detailing Arizona’s gun regulations, the Law Center states that Arizona doesn’t require dealers to have a state license or limit the number of purchases made at one time. The state also allows people to carry a concealed gun in public without a license and allows people to purchase or transfer assault weapons, 50 caliber rifles or large ammunition magazines.

But do more gun laws necessarily mean fewer gun deaths? Obama asserted as much during his press conference, saying: “We know that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths. So the notion that gun laws don't work, or just will make it harder for law-abiding citizens, and criminals will still get their guns, is not borne out by the evidence.” Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, InsideGov mapped out gun deaths by state, per 100,000 people.

 

 

 

The fives states with the most gun deaths per 100,000 people are Alaska (19.6), Louisiana (19.2), Alabama (17.8), Mississippi (17.6) and Wyoming (17.5). Three of those five states – Alaska, Mississippi and Wyoming – are also among the states with the most lax gun laws. The five states with the fewest number of gun deaths per 100,000 people are Hawaii (2.7), Massachusetts (3.2), New York (4.4), Connecticut (4.5) and Rhode Island (5.3).

Of those five states, two are also at the top of the list when it comes to strictness of gun laws: New York and Connecticut. When connecting the two data sets into one graph, a pattern seems to develop – and that pattern seems to support Obama’s claim that stricter gun laws mean fewer gun-related deaths.

 

 

 

In the above graph, points that are higher up along the Y axis indicate more gun deaths, and points further to the right along the X axis indicate stricter gun laws. The data confirms that, on the whole, stricter gun laws do result in fewer gun deaths. But some cases run counter to the overall trend.

Take California, for example, which sports the highest gun law score at 89. The Golden State has 7.9 deaths per 100,000 – the eighth-lowest in the country. But when consulting an L.A. Times list of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S., the most instances occurred in California. Nine mass shootings have taken place in California since 1984 (Texas comes in second, with four occurrences).

Although California is among the largest and most populated states, the total number of mass shootings there is an outlier. For example, California’s population is almost two times that of Florida, but Florida has been the site of only one mass shooting in the last 34 years. While an overall look at the data suggests that stricter gun laws mean fewer gun-related deaths, exceptions like the number of mass shootings in California are important to note. Perhaps more than anything, the California exception shows just how complicated a topic this is for Americans – and shows why finding consensus on appropriate gun legislation continues to be a challenge.

 

Related Slideshow: 5 Oregon Gun Facts That Might Surprise You

Oregon is the 28th best state in the union for gun owners, according to an analysis by Guns & Ammo magazine that describes Oregon as being, overall, a friendly place for gun owners with relatively few restrictions on firearms. These facts give some insight as to why.  

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1. Mental Health Issues

In Oregon, people who've lost their gun rights because of mental health issues can petition to get them back. After the 2007 Virginia Tech Shooting, Congress passed legislation that changed how background checks are conducted. It also contained a provision that required states to have a mechanism to allow people who had been barred from firearm ownership because of a mental health issue to petition to have this right restored. 

In Oregon, the Psychiatric Security Review Board (PSRB)conducts relief hearings to determine if someone should again be permitted to own guns.

However, the number of people who've had their rights restored is pretty small.

Juliet Follansbee, the executive director of the PSRB, says only three people have applied to have their gun rights restored, all of which were successful. 

Penny Okamoto, a board member and spokesperson for gun-control advocate Ceasefire Oregon, says this is a sensible and fair process.

“I think it's a terrible mechanism,” says Kevin Starrett, director of the Oregon Firearms Federation. Starrett says diagnoses of mental illness are too broadly applied and cover individuals who've recovered from drug problems. 

Photo Credit: Helga Weber via Compfight cc

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2. Background Checks

If you want to buy a gun from a friend or relative, you don't need to undergo a background check. The same applies if you want to buy a gun from your neighbor down the block or even someone you encounter randomly on the street. Once you have that gun, you don't need to get a permit or register it. 

Photo Credit: Svadilfari via Compfight cc

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3. Concealed Carry

If you want a concealed handgun, you apply at your local sheriff's office, pass a background check, prove you're at least 21, demonstrate that you're competent with the weapon and you're good to walk around strapped. Oregon is a “shall-issue” state, meaning that if you pass these requirements, your local sheriff shall issue you a permit. “May-issue” states, like California, are different in that applicants need to provide a compelling reason to have a permit. 

However, if you're wondering if someone you know owns a concealed weapon permit, there's no way to find out. In 2011, the Oregon Legislature passed a law with bipartisan support that exempted concealed weapon permits from Oregon's public records law. 

Photo Credit: Mojave Desert via Compfight cc

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4. Loaded Guns in Public

Earlier this year, Georgia lawmakers passed legislation, referred to as the “guns everywhere” bill, that allowed guns just about everywhere, including bars and churches. Oregon has been way ahead of Georgia on this for years. In Oregon, it was already totally legal to take a gun into a bar or a church (if the property owner didn't object).

According to a description of Oregon gun laws on the National Rifle Association's (NRA) website, it is unlawful to possess a loaded firearm in a public building, which includes hospitals, capitol buildings, schools, colleges, courthouses or city hall. Exceptions are made if you have a concealed carry permit.

“The irony is that you can't carry a sign into the Oregon State Capitol building, but you can carry a loaded AR-15,” says Okamoto, who notes that having a concealed carry permit also allows people to openly carry large, loaded weapons. 

Portland, however, differs from the rest of the state. Last year, the Oregon Supreme Court upheld a Portland ordinance that banned loaded weapons in public, except for police officers and those with concealed weapons permits. 

“In lots of places no one would give it a second glance,” says Starrett, noting that guns are openly carried in Switzerland and Israel. “It's all a matter of perceptions, and open carry has really offended people in Portland, but in Portland a lot of fat ugly people can ride around on bicycles.”

Photo Credit: Ewan-M via Compfight cc

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5. Guns and Suicide

If you own a gun, you're more likely to kill yourself than someone else. According to Ceasefire Oregon, which cited data from the Oregon Health Authority, 417 Oregonians were killed by guns in 2011, slightly down from 458 in 2010 and up from 413 in 2009. For each of those years, more than 80 percent of those individuals killed by a gun committed suicide. 

“When people decide to commit suicide, it's an impulsive act,” says Okamoto. She says that having more background checks in place could save lives because someone considering suicide might have second thoughts while going through the process. 

Photo Credit: ~Steve Z~ via Compfight cc

 
 

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