Global deaths from firearms: Searching for plausible estimates

Author: Kopel, David B. / Gallant, Paul / Eisen, Joanne D.
Publication: Texas Review of Law & Politics
Topics: Homicide International Ownership Surveillance/Data Collection
Keywords: armed conflict data prohibitions small arms
Bibliographic information +

The authors critique the argument that restricting access to small arms and light weapons will prevent nearly half a million deaths worldwide annually. They suggest that obtaining an accurate number of deaths from armed conflicts and ascertaining the cause and setting of these deaths are difficult. They critique the unanswered questions about the sources of data cited in support of the 500,000 deaths figure as well as the methodology used in such analyses. They suggest that removing small arms and light weapons will strip away the ability of an armed citizenry to fight against oppressors, both domestic and foreign, and provide examples of peoples fighting liberation wars during the 20th century. They conclude that firearms prohibitions would prevent only a small number of deaths caused by civilian-owned firearms at a high risk to the freedom of populations against oppressive regimes