New public database reveals striking differences in how guns are regulated from state to state

In 45 of the 50 states the rate of overall deaths from firearms increased and the firearm homicide rate rose in every state except West Virginia.

Not one was enacted.

Because of inaction on the part of the federal government, it is up to each individual state to develop its own policies to reduce gun violence.

If a person perceives a threat of serious bodily harm, so-called “stand your ground” laws allow them to fire their gun with immunity from prosecution, as long as they are in a place they have a legal right to be.

In 1998, the Federal Bureau of Investigation implemented a federal background check system for gun purchases from licensed dealers.

[...] only eight states have closed a loophole in this law by requiring universal background checks for all firearm purchases in their state, even those from unlicensed sellers.

There is, however, one area of gun regulation that most of the states, even those with very few other gun safety laws, are progressively pursuing: laws that prohibit domestic violence offenders from possessing firearms.

In a similar shift, in 1991, not a single state prohibited firearm possession by people subject to permanent domestic violence-related restraining orders.