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Hold Your Fire: Did the 1996 Federal Gun Control Act Expansion Reduce Domestic Homicides?

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  • Kerri M. Raissian

Abstract

In 1996, Congress expanded the federal Gun Control Act (GCA) to prohibit defendants convicted of a qualifying domestic violence misdemeanor from possessing or purchasing a firearm. Using the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports along with homicide data collected from selected state law enforcement agencies, I investigate if this expansion was successful in reducing homicides among the target groups. I use variation from a legal loophole and a series of circuit court decisions to generate difference‐in‐differences estimates. I find evidence that the GCA expansion led to 17 percent fewer gun‐related homicides among female intimate partner victims and 31 percent fewer gun homicides among male domestic child victims. The law also has protective benefits for those that were not targeted by the legislation. “Other” family members (parents and siblings) also experience a 24 percent reduction in gun homicides. I find no evidence that reductions in gun homicides were offset by an increase in nongun homicides. While most falsification and robustness tests support the above conclusions, some tests suggest caution when interpreting the results and a need for further research.

Suggested Citation

  • Kerri M. Raissian, 2016. "Hold Your Fire: Did the 1996 Federal Gun Control Act Expansion Reduce Domestic Homicides?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(1), pages 67-93, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:35:y:2016:i:1:p:67-93
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1002/pam.21857
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    Cited by:

    1. Meenakshi Balakrishna & Kenneth C. Wilbur, 2022. "Do Firearm Markets Comply with Firearm Restrictions? How the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice Changed Registered Firearm Sales," Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 19(1), pages 60-89, March.
    2. Mark Anderson, D. & Sabia, Joseph J. & Tekin, Erdal, 2021. "Child access prevention laws and juvenile firearm-related homicides," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    3. April M. Zeoli & Alexander D. Mccourt & Jennifer K. Paruk, 2022. "Effectiveness of Firearm Restriction, Background Checks, and Licensing Laws in Reducing Gun Violence," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 704(1), pages 118-136, November.
    4. Meenakshi Balakrishna & Kenneth C. Wilbur, 2021. "Do Firearm Markets Comply with Firearm Restrictions? How the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice Changed Firearm Sales," Papers 2111.05272, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2021.
    5. Meenakshi Balakrishna & Kenneth C. Wilbur, 2021. "How the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice Changed Firearm Sales," Papers 2102.02884, arXiv.org.

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