The 10 trigger-happiest states in America
Urban states with heavy gang populations such as California and New York aren't particularly high up on the list of per-capita gun killings, though of course in terms of absolute numbers they look like murder capitals because of their big populations. Mid-size Southern states seem to be the places people are trigger-happiest -- and where, of course, political opposition to gun control often runs strongest. Perhaps that's because most of the bloodletting happens in Southern cities, and it's in rural areas -- where gun violence is slight -- that gun rights are held most sacred. --Dan Turner
Story: Where gun violence is concentrated: It's not where you might think
Story: Where gun violence is concentrated: It's not where you might think
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Louisiana
Louisiana doesn't just lead the nation in gun killings, it's No. 1 with a bullet: 8.8 firearm murders per 100,000 residents were reported in 2011, roughly double the number of the next-highest state. Louisiana's gun laws are also extremely permissive. The Brady Center gives it 2 points on its rating of the scope of state gun laws, making it tied for 47th in the country on gun control. Coincidence? You decide.
Above: Revelers party on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter during Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans. |
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