Study: gun background checks save lives

A study by the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research has found a correlation between Missouri’s background check laws and the state’s murder rate. In 2007, Missouri legislators fought to repeal a law that required anyone who wished to buy a firearm to acquire a “permit to purchase” first. Only those who had passed background checks would be able to obtain the permit. Lawmakers argued that people had the right to defend their homes against intruders, and passed a firearm bill that also granted immunity to those who do so. The local National Rifle Association chapter said that repealing the law would allow gun buyers to obtain weapons faster and without a processing fee. “This makes it easier for people to buy firearms,” said Kevin Jamison, president of Missouri’s NRA affiliate. “They don’t have to get permission first.” Meanwhile, the Johns Hopkins study shows that since the repeal of this law, Missouri’s murder rate has increased by 16 percent. Between 2008 and 2012, researchers determined that “an additional 55 to 63 murders per year” occurred in the state after the repeal of the permit-to-purchase law. During these years, more firearms were found in the possession of convicted criminals, or were confiscated by police in nearby states in which permit laws are still in place. “There is strong evidence to support the idea that the repeal of Missouri’s handgun purchaser licensing law contributed to dozens of additional murders in Missouri each year since the law was changed,” said the study’s lead researcher, Daniel Webster. While Missouri’s homicide rate increases, rates have decreased both nationwide and in the region, as other states such as Colorado and Illinois tighten up their firearms laws. Currently, 14 states require checks for private gun sales. Federal requirements only state that federally licensed firearms dealers must undergo background screening.]]>