Connecticut ranks 45th in the nation for gun violence for 2015, a sign of progress following laws enacted here after the Newtown elementary school shootings of 2012, a Center for American Progress study finds.
The state also ranks Connecticut 45th in the country for gun suicides, 30th for gun homicides, 41st for gun fatalities, 32nd for mass shootings, and 50th for fatal shootings by police.
Connecticut is among 10 states with the lowest levels of gun violence in the country. The others are Massachusetts, Hawaii, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.
States with higher levels have recorded rates higher than 16 gun deaths for every 100,000 residents, while Connecticut and some of the other states with lower levels register rates lower than six gun deaths for every 100,000 residents, the report states. States with higher rates include Louisiana, Mississippi and Wyoming.
The CAP report is based on a 2013 study to assess the correlation between the relative strength or weakness of a state’s gun laws, as measured by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, and rates of gun violence in the state across 10 categories of gun violence or gun-related crimes. In the latest CAP report, the authors revisit CAP’s 2013 analysis with a revised methodology, some new categories of gun violence, and updated state grades from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Connecticut’s gun violence index ranking, at 45, shows an index of 12, indicating it has stronger gun laws than most states.
“Once again, CAP finds a strong and significant link between weak gun laws and high rates of gun violence,” the report states. “And while this correlation does not prove a causal relationship between stronger gun laws and fewer gun deaths, the link between stronger gun laws and lower rates of gun violence cannot be ignored. As the gun debate continues to churn, policymakers … must take action to close dangerous loopholes and enact strong gun laws to protect all of the nation’s communities from this national disgrace.”
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Connecticut’s example shows”that tough, smart gun laws help make our communities safer. For decades, lawmakers in Connecticut have worked together to strengthen our laws to prevent more gun deaths. Commonsense reforms save lives, and I encourage other lawmakers to act on this issue with urgency.”
