The facts, however, suggest a far different result.
A comprehensive study by John Lott of CrimeResearch.org and John Moody determined that concealed carry likely reduces murder rates when examined over an extended period. It is not overnight, but the results are significant.
The study examined data from all 50 states starting in 1970 and running through 2018. Controls were built in for the effects of such possible contributing factors as unemployment, poverty and incarceration rates.
The results showed varying outcomes depending on the state or the extent of the concealed carry law. Researchers noted “the effect of right-to-carry laws on murder is negative but not significantly different from zero in the year of adoption. However, the effect becomes negative and statistically significant in the following years.”
The authors cited the time it takes for individuals to acquire permits and begin carrying firearms. There is also a lag in time for the effects of these actions to be manifest.
The results highlight that concealed carry and in particular constitutional carry pushes murder rates downward. The nation is now a majority constitutional carry country, and Nebraska in April became the 27th state to permit law-abiding Americans to carry outside of the home without first receiving permission from the government.
Naturally, anti-gun advocates found fault with the study by Lott and Moody. They insisted that the methodology was faulty and did not consider different factors.
They also claimed that concealed carry contributes to a rise in murder rates, something the Lott and Moody study flatly refuted.
Despite dissension from those opposed to the Second Amendment, the latest study should be trumpeted for lawmakers who are considering expanding gun rights in their states.
