Surprise! Study finds stand your ground laws are associated with a significant rise in gun deaths

Ah, “stand your ground” laws—otherwise known as, “Hey, no witnesses! I can shoot this dude in the face and ink a lucrative media deal with Fox News in 30 days or less” laws. The Bible rather quaintly admonishes us not to kill, but apparently we missed the fine print in the 10 Commandments where it says it’s okay if you’re scared of meandering Black people openly brandishing Skittles. 

Of course, stand your ground legislation has always felt like an incitement for society to get far more shoot-y, and now it looks like there’s evidence to support our hunches. According to a new study published in the journal JAMA Network Open, the proliferation of stand-your-ground laws in recent years has been associated with an “abrupt and sustained” increase in gun-related homicides.

Shocker!