MANHASSET, N.Y.– A new study from Northwell Health’s Cohen Children’s Medical Center and its Center for Gun Violence Prevention finds that stronger gun laws are significantly associated with lower firearm suicide rates, while socioeconomic disparities play a more powerful role in driving firearm homicides. The research, published today in JAMA Network Open, calls for more tailored public health strategies to address the distinct causes of gun-related deaths.
Led by Dr. Chethan Sathya, director of Northwell’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention and principal investigator of the study, the research analyzed firearm death data from 2017 to 2021, using statistics from the Giffords Law Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Census Bureau. The findings reinforce the need for nuanced policies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to gun violence.
“This research is one-of-a-kind and demonstrates that the relationship between gun safety laws and gun deaths is far more nuanced than previously thought,” said Dr. Sathya. “Suicide and homicide are distinct issues as they relate to firearm laws, requiring distinct solutions.”
The study found that:
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States with stronger gun laws had significantly lower firearm death rates overall.
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Laws regulating firearm sales, public carry, and gun owner accountability correlated most strongly with reduced suicide rates.
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While some gun laws were associated with lower homicide rates, socioeconomic factors—such as poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to health care—had a stronger influence, especially among Black Americans.
Emma Cornell, MPH, senior clinical research program manager at Northwell and lead author of the paper, emphasized the multifaceted nature of firearm violence. “To meaningfully address this public health crisis, we must address both access to firearms and the fundamental needs of our communities,” she said.
Although the study is correlational and limited by county-level data and the exclusion of non-fatal injuries, the authors argue that it adds critical evidence to support public health-based interventions and further research into policy implementation and community-based prevention.
“Gun violence is a crisis, and Dr. Sathya’s research shows just how deeply it impacts our most vulnerable,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health. “This isn’t just about finding new solutions; it’s about addressing the systemic inequities that fuel this violence.”
Northwell Health, the largest health system in the Northeast, has made gun violence prevention a core mission since 2019. Through its Center for Gun Violence Prevention, the organization has screened over 50,000 patients for firearm access and risk, hosted annual prevention forums, and spearheaded national initiatives such as the Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Hospitals and the National Health Care CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention & Safety.
The center recently received $100,000 from both the Rx Foundation and the Joyce Foundation to continue expanding its research and develop national toolkits for hospitals to adopt evidence-based prevention strategies.
