JAMA Pediatrics has released a new study that confirms what we in the gun violence prevention movement have always known: states with the strictest gun laws see a significant drop in the number of youth firearm deaths. According to the report, states with more lenient gun laws have a rate of gun violence 2.5 times higher than states with stricter firearm regulations.
Washington has long understood the urgency of treating gun violence as a public health epidemic. Washington ranks ninth among the 50 states for the strongest gun safety laws. In addition to our strong gun safety laws, Washington remains in the bottom 30% of states with the highest rates of firearm homicide. We can see evidence of the JAMA study’s findings when comparing Washington to Mississippi, which currently has the country’s 2nd most permissive gun safety laws, coupled with the highest rate of gun violence in the nation. There is no debate. Increasing firearm regulations reduces community violence.
In 2024, Washington experienced the largest reduction in firearm sales across the nation, eliminating potential straw purchases and guns that could reach the black market. However, we need to focus not only on preventing criminals from accessing guns, but children as well. Three out of four school shooters, the average age of which is 16, use a weapon they accessed from their home or a family member. Laws that require the safe storage of firearms limit the access that a child has to a lethal weapon, stopping them from acting on suicidal or other reckless impulses. In the past five years, over 1,000 people have been shot on a school property. By strengthening gun safety regulations, we can prevent adding more children to that number.
Nev Fenelon | 2025 Intern at the Alliance for Gun Responsibility
