Tough gun laws are saving lives in New York, says a study by an anti-gun group.
The state had the fifth-lowest rate of gun deaths in the United States in 2007, according to the Violence Policy Center, which analyzes guns as a public-health issue.
Guns were responsible for 5.07 deaths per 100,000 people in the state in 2007, the last year for which data is available, the group said.
That’s less than half the US average of 10.34 per 100,000, the group said.
Louisiana had the nation’s highest gun-death rate, at 19.87 deaths per 100,000 people. Hawaii had the lowest, at 2.82 per 100,000 people.
“More guns lead to more gun death, but limiting exposure to firearms saves lives,” said the center’s legislative director, Kristen Rand.
The Violence Policy Center credits tough gun laws with reducing deaths in New York, where 18.1 percent of households have guns. In Louisiana, guns are owned in 45.6 percent of households.