Stricter gun laws mean lower rates of gun-related deaths in children

States with stricter gun laws had lower rates of gun-related deaths in children, according to new research. Scientists looked at more than 21,000 gun deaths in children between 2011 and 2015 in states that implemented stricter gun laws — such as universal background checks for ammunition and gun purchases — and found that these states had a 4% lower rate of gun-related deaths in children than states without such laws. States that had universal background checks for firearm purchases had an 11% lower rate of children dying from firearms — and if the law was in place for five or more years, that rate was 35%. The study’s findings are associative, but the authors say they point to the need for more research into how tougher gun laws could lead to fewer deaths among children