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Tougher Gun Laws Mean Fewer U.S. Kids Die, Study Shows

In the journal Pediatrics, researchers show that the stricter the gun laws a state has, the lower the risk of children dying as a result of gun violence.

Gun-rights activists who say there’s no evidence that stricter gun laws result in fewer deaths might need to find a new argument. A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics shows that children who live in states with strict firearms laws are less likely to die from gun violence than those in states with more lax restrictions. The researchers found that the stricter the state’s gun laws, the lower the risk of children dying. Researchers found that states with stricter gun-control laws had 4 percent fewer pediatric deaths when compared to more lax states, and those that have had universal background checks for firearm purchases in place for at least five years had a 35 percent lower risk. “These data suggest that strict firearm legislation may be protective of children even in areas of high gun ownership,” the researchers wrote.