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FACT BRIEF

Would stricter gun control be ineffective in Nevada because the US already has a lot of guns?

By Austin Tannenbaum
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NO

Different states have different levels of gun violence, and states with looser gun policies tend to have higher firearm mortality rates. This suggests strengthening Nevada’s gun laws would have at least some positive effect on gun safety.

Comparing each state’s gun death rate with its gun laws, Giffords Law Center found “an undeniable correlation between strong laws and low gun death rates” over the past decade. Authors did note that gun trafficking from states with weaker laws undermines gun safety in states with stronger laws.

Using a similar comparison, Everytown Research & Policy reported in January that “states with strong gun laws” such as background checks “see less violence,” but also noted that gun trafficking has a negative impact on gun safety, especially in big cities.

Nevada was given a C+ on Giffords’ 2021 scorecard, ranking 16 of 50 for gun safety strength and 18 of 50 for gun deaths at 17 per 100,000. Everytown ranked Nevada 18 of 50 on gun law strength with a worse-than-average gun death rate of 19.8 per 100,000.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Giffords Law Center Annual Gun Law Scorecard
Everytown Research & Policy 2023 Gun Law Rankings
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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