Public Gun Carrying

Carrying a concealed handgun in public has the potential to enable would-be victims of violent crime to thwart attempted acts of violence, but also poses potential threats to public safety.

The Center’s work in this area focuses on the growing body of evidence showing that the deregulation of civilian gun carrying leads to more violence. Center faculty have authored a report debunking myths that proponents of right-to-carry put forth, researched the impact of campus carry (guns on campus) legislation, and conducted public opinion polling on concealed carry.

Key Statistic

Eighty-three percent of gun owners and eighty-three percent of Republicans want much higher safety standards for concealed carry permit holders than are required in right-to-carry and permitless carry states.^[1]

“Proponents of right-to-carry laws that make it easy for individuals to legally carry firearms in public often blame mass shootings on ‘gun-free zones’ and argue that arming more civilians can deter or stop mass shootings. The best available evidence, however, does not support these claims.”

– Alex McCourt, Assistant Scientist

Select JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Right-to-Carry Laws and Firearm Workplace Homicides: A Longitudinal Analysis (1992-2017). Doucette ML, Crifasi CK, Frattaroli S. Am J Public Health. 2019 Dec;109(12):1747-1753.
• Workplace homicides committed by firearm: recent trends and narrative text analysis Doucette, M.L., Bulzacchelli, M.T., Frattaroli, S. et al. Inj. Epidemiol. 2019; 6: 5.
• Association between Firearm Laws and Homicide in Urban Counties. Crifasi CK, Merrill-Francis M, McCourt A, Vernick JS, Wintemute GJ, Webster DW. J Urban Health. 2018 Jun;95(3):383-390.
• Gun Policy in the United States: Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Gun Violence. Crifasi C. Appl Health Econ Health Policy. 2018 Oct;16(5):579-581.

CENTER REPORTS

• Concealed Carry of Firearms: Facts vs. Fiction
• Firearms on College Campuses: Research Evidence and Policy Implications

PRESS RELEASES

• Handgun Purchaser Licensing Laws Linked To Fewer Firearm Homicides In Large, Urban Areas 
  Thu, 31 May 2018
• Allowing Guns on College Campuses Unlikely To Reduce Mass Shootings 
  Mon, 24 Oct 2016