Topline
Permitless open carry laws may result in higher rates of firearm-related suicides, according to a new study published Monday.
Key Facts
More people died by firearms and suicide in states that allowed the open carrying of a firearm without a permit in public than states without open carry laws, according to a study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Open carry allows loaded guns to be either fully or partially visible in public without a license, which also means without any training or a background check.
The study analyzed data from all 50 states between 2013 and 2021: Some 19 states did not allow permitless open carry during the study period, while five changed to open carry and 26 states already had open carry laws.
Total firearm-related deaths increased by 45% in all 50 states, from 33,636 in 2013 to 48,830 in 2021, and the majority were firearm-related suicides.
Firearm-related suicides in the five states that began allowing open carry increased 18%, and the total number of all methods of suicides in these states increased by 57%, with the study’s researchers believing this increase may be ”strongly associated” with more permitless open carry laws.
Senior study author Jose Diaz, the trauma medical director at Tampa General Hospital, told Forbes it’s unclear why non-firearm suicide rates increased, but researchers believe making gun ownership easier by removing restrictions may increase all methods of suicide.
Diaz also suggested a nationwide spike in loneliness and isolation during the Covid pandemic may have contributed, though total suicide and firearm-related suicide rates were higher in open carry states.
The study found no association between open carry laws and firearm-related homicides
Surprising Fact
The researchers also found different death patterns before and during the Covid pandemic. There were significantly higher rates of firearm-related homicides and suicides during the pandemic.
Big Number
355,412. That’s how many firearm-related deaths happened in the U.S. between 2013 and 2021, according to Monday’s study.
Crucial Quote
“Our analysis suggests that because of the change in the law, which provides easier access to firearms, we saw an increased firearm suicide rate and total suicide rate,” Diaz said in a statement. “Changes in firearm laws have potential repercussions that we do not anticipate.”
Contra
There are two types of permitless carry: open—when guns can be fully or partially visible in public without a permit—and concealed, when a hidden firearm is carried in public without a permit. Supporters say permitless carry, which is also called “constitutional carry” and “right-to-carry” because backers believe it’s a constitutional right to bear arms without a permit, benefits U.S. citizens by allowing them to freely carry guns “without bureaucratic restrictions or government mandates” like mandatory training, according to the pro-open carry America First Policy Institute. It may also benefit lower income citizens by waiving “onerous” permit fees. New York City requires all people seeking a handgun license to pay over $400 in fees, and Los Angeles requires over $250 in fees. Permitless carry is a “foundational right,” as opposed to a “a government privilege that citizens must ask permission to exercise,” according to Jason Ouimet, executive director of the National Riffle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. Supporters also push back against links to crime: After West Virginia enacted permitless concealed carry in 2016, law enforcement said six months later there hadn’t been an increase in gun violence since the law passed.
Key Background
Critics warn that unrestricted carry laws can be dangerous. The Giffords Law Center said background checks—including for carry permits—are a “foundational policy critical to keeping firearms out of the hands of individuals at an elevated risk of committing violence.” Over 7,600 Florida residents between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022 were denied concealed carry permits for reasons like mental health and criminal history, according to Giffords Law Center, using state data. Violent firearm crime increased by 29% in cities within states that weakened firearm permitting laws, with the largest increases in firearm robberies, according to a 2022 analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Almost 85% of gun owners believe individuals should pass safety training and demonstrate lawful gun use in order to carry in public, according to the Center for American Progress, using data from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
