Abstract BACKGROUNDMost Americans believe that gun-free zones make locations more vulnerable to violent crimes, particularly active shootings. However, there is no empirical evidence regarding the impact of gun-free zones on protecting locations from violence.
UC Davis Health News covered the publication of new CVP research that used a unique study design to compare the risk of active shootings in gun-free zones as compared to gun-allowing establishments. “After accounting for matched pairs, our analyses showed that active shootings were 62.5% less likely to occur in gun-free establishments than in gun-allowing places,” said Paul Reeping, lead author of the study and CVP postdoctoral scholar.
The United States has experienced an unprecedented surge in homicides — the vast majority of which involve firearms. Mass shootings, however they are defined, are also increasing. Firearm suicide rates, in contrast, have remained stable. To understand these developments, it’s important to see where they came from. What are the long-term trends? What state and regional patterns exist in mortality and in firearm-violence prevention policies?
Mass shootings are a source of shared anguish and outrage among Americans and are becoming more frequent. Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), also known as gun violence restraining orders or “red flag” laws, are designed to help prevent these shootings. Our experts note that:
The Violence Prevention Research Program created a short report on research evidence for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) in preventing mass shootings.
Mass shootings are a source of shared anguish and outrage among the American public, and they are becoming more frequent. Extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) are designed to prevent these shootings, and research supports their effectiveness.
