Note: This story originally appeared on the St. Louis Business Journal.
Since 2007, when the state of Missouri repealed its requirement that gun purchasers undergo background checks to obtain permits, the gun homicide rate in Missouri has risen 16 percent.
The national rate for gun killings fell 11 percent in the same six-year period, the New York Times reports.
Missouri, which previously had among the nation's strongest gun control measures, also last year approved lowering the age to carry a concealed gun to 19.
Other measures, such as the increase in guns confiscated by police in Missouri that had originally been purchased in the state, suggest changes in the state's laws have had some effect on gun trafficking, the Times reports.
However, researchers say it's hard to prove gun law changes are responsible for the rise in gun homicides. Opponents point out that attacks, such as the killings in San Bernardino, happen even where controls are tight; California has some of the nation's strictest gun laws.
For the full report, go here.
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