Does Gun Control Reduce Crime?

Apparently there was a shooting on Friday.  This will invariably call for gun control.

Let's look at some stats to see if this makes sense:

Source: U.S. Census Crime Rates by State 2009 (first data that I found)

If gun control reduces crime then the states with the most restrictive gun control should have fewer murders.  And states with less gun control should have more murders.

Until a few days ago Illinois was the only state to not allow concealed carry.  If gun control works, then Illinois should have fewer murders, then surrounding (similar) states.

Murders per 100,000 people:

Illinois - 8.4
Indiana - 5.3
Iowa - 1.3
Wisconsin - 2.6

It seems that despite banning concealed carry Illinois has more murders than the neighboring states.

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If gun control reduces crime then the cities with the most restrictive gun control should have fewer murders.

"The nation’s capital is home to some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country."

Since this is the case Washington D.C. should have a low rate of murders, if gun control prevents crime.

Murders per 100,000 people:

United States - 5.1
Washington D.C. - 24.2

It seems that despite the most strict gun control measures in the country the capitol has nearly five times more murders per capita than the national average.

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New Hampshire is advertised to have some of the least restrictive gun control laws, in the country.

If not restricting gun control reduces murders then New Hampshire should have a high murder rate:

Murders per 100,000 people:

United States - 5.1
New Hampshire - 0.9

Certainly the state with the least restrictive gun control laws should have more murders per capita than the surrounding states:

Murders per 100,000 people:

New Hampshire - 0.9
Vermont - 1.3
Maine - 2.0
Connecticut - 3.0
Rhode Island - 3.0
New York - 4.0

New Hampshire, with the least restrictive gun control laws, has fewer murders per capita than all of its neighboring (and most similar) states.

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Those above were all of the different ways that I could think of to compare states with lots and less amounts of gun control.  If you know that your state has more or less gun control than a neighboring state, then look at the data to compare your state's rate of murder rate with your state's neighbor.

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Does gun control reduce crime?

If by "reduce crime" you mean "increase the number of murders," then yes it does.