Thread by @shannonrwatts

Two things can be true:

1) It’s good more people didn’t die in the Indiana mall mass shooting

2) Relying on untrained and unvetted armed civilians to take out the gunmen we’ve given easy access to arsenals and ammunition is an absurd and ineffective public safety strategy

First, accuracy with a firearm depends on training – and police, who are highly trained, have an average hit rate of between 18 and 40%. Permitless carry laws - like in Indiana - strip all training requirements to carry a hidden, loaded handgun in public.ajc.com/blog/get-schoo…

Second, a growing body of research shows that when lawmakers make is easier for people to carry guns in public, violent crime rates go up. In fact, when states first passed concealed carry laws, violent crime rates rose by 13 to 15%. nber.org/system/files/w…

And in states where permit issuers had limited or no discretion in issuing concealed carry permits, handgun homicide rates were 11% higher than states where law enforcement and permit issuers could exercise broad discretion in permitting. ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.21…

As Indiana lawmakers have loosened gun laws, gun deaths have increased 78% from 2011 to 2020, compared to a 33% increase nationwide.

The rate of gun suicides increased 41% and gun homicide increased 142% from 2011 to 2020, compared to a 12% increase and 70% increase nationwide.

And yet Indiana has among the highest state rates of household gun ownership per capita. It’s almost like all of those guns aren’t actually making Hoosiers safer, but are being used in gun homicides and suicides (while enriching the gun lobby).

So the solution actually isn’t to arm more people - data shows that makes us LESS safe. The solution is to keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them - especially people with dangerous histories, who exhibit warning signs and who are under age 21. thetrace.org/2019/02/rifle-…

Defensive gun use is rare. The data gun extremists use to cite “millions of defensive uses” came from a phone survey not meant for national extrapolation, and that used the same methodology as a study that found 20M Americans have been contacted by aliens. jhsph.edu/sebin/u/c/myth…

Guns are used to threaten and kill people far more often than they are used in self defense. This study found most incidents of self-defense are self-reported and unreliable at best, illegal at worst. injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/6/4/263

So what could Indiana lawmakers do to protect citizens from gun violence?

Require permits, background checks & safety training
Prevent domestic abusers from accessing guns
An assault weapons and large capacity magazine ban
Waiting periods
Community violence intervention funding

The NRA and gun extremists sure are eager to celebrate when one person kills a mass shooter who just murdered three people in a crowded food court, but they’re always silent when armed police and guards fail to stop other regular horrific shootings. time.com/6182970/good-g…