by Jeffrey A. Roth

About the author: Jeffrey A. Roth is a research director for the Law and Public Policy area of Abt Associates, Inc. He served as study director for the Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior.

Approximately 60 percent of all murder victims in the United States in 1989 (about 12,000 people) were killed with firearms. According to estimates, firearm attacks injured another 70,000 victims, some of whom were left permanently disabled. In 1985, the cost of shootings—either by others, through self- inflicted wounds, or in accidents—was estimated to be more than $14 billion nationwide for medical care, long-term disability, and premature death. Among firearms, handguns are the murder weapon of choice. While handguns make up only about one-third of all firearms owned in the United States, they account for 80 percent of all murders...