A modern take on the classic 45 caliber 1911 handgun. Credit: pngimg.com

After the Sandy Hook tragedy, reporters often called me to ask for information on firearms. They wanted to know whether strong gun laws reduced homicide rates (I said they did); and, conversely, whether permissive gun laws lowered crime rates overall (I said they did not). I discovered that in their news articles journalists would write that I said one thing while some other firearms researcher said the opposite. This “he said-she said” reporting annoyed me — because I knew that the scientific evidence was on my side.

“In the United States, having a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide.”
Caption “In the United States, having a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide.”
In the United States, guns are used in self-defense far more often than they are used in crime.”
Caption In the United States, guns are used in self-defense far more often than they are […]