Fact check: Does a gun make me safer

1. Summary of the results

The research strongly indicates that having a gun in the home does not increase safety, and may actually increase various risks:

• People living with handgun owners face twice the rate of death by homicide compared to gun-free homes ^[1]
• Homes with guns experience three times more homicides and residents are seven times more likely to be shot by intimate partners ^[1]
• Only 29% of people believe guns make homes safer, while 40% believe they make homes less safe ^[2]
• The presence of a gun increases suicide risk by 50% ^[1]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors should be considered:

• In active shooter situations, unarmed citizens have successfully stopped shooters in 21 out of 160 cases, suggesting that guns aren't always necessary for self-defense ^[3]
• The United States experiences significantly higher gun violence rates compared to other developed nations ^[3]
• Women face disproportionate risks, comprising 84% of intimate partner shooting victims ^[1]
• There is no evidence of protective benefits against strangers, despite this being a common justification for gun ownership ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The question "Does a gun make me safer?" contains several implicit assumptions that need addressing:

• There's a significant disconnect between perceived and actual safety: Many gun owners passionately believe guns make them safer, despite empirical evidence suggesting otherwise ^[3]
• The question oversimplifies a complex issue: Guns may provide psychological comfort while simultaneously increasing objective risk ^[3]

Who benefits from different narratives:

• Gun manufacturers and the firearms industry benefit from promoting the narrative that guns increase safety
• Stanford Law Professor John Donohue and other academics have presented research challenging this narrative ^[3]
• The data suggests that the primary beneficiaries of gun-free homes are the residents themselves, particularly women and family members who face increased risks from domestic gun presence ^[1]