Disproportionate sales of crime guns among licensed handgun retailers in the United States: a case–control study

Wintemute, Garen J.

doi:10.1136/ip.2007.017301

Cited by 17 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Retailers were categorized by their total number of handgun sales during 1996 (1–249, 250–999, ≥1,000) and the percentage of purchase applications that were denied because the prospective purchasers were prohibited from possessing firearms (<1%, 1% to <2%, ≥2%) 5 , 13. The highest category for the percentage of handgun purchase applications denied is higher than the national average 14.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The highest category for the percentage of handgun purchase applications denied is higher than the national average 14. Most denials stem from previous criminal convictions,15 – 17 and a high denial percentage might therefore reflect a clientele at increased risk for committing crimes 3 , 8 , 13. Finally, retailers were grouped according to their proximity to a Youth Crime Gun Initiative (YCGI) city (within 25 mi or farther away).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking

2010

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While many handguns are used in crime each year in the USA, most are not. We conducted this study to identify factors present at the time of a handgun’s most recent retail sale that were associated with its subsequent use in crime under circumstances suggesting that the handgun had been trafficked—purchased with the intent of diverting it to criminal use. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun purchases were of particular interest. Using data for 180,321 handguns purchased from federally licensed retailers in California in 1996, we studied attributes of the handguns, the retailers selling them, the purchasers, and the sales transactions. Our outcome measure was a handgun’s recovery by a police agency, followed by a gun ownership trace, conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, that determined (a) that the recovery had occurred within 3 years of the handgun’s most recent purchase from a licensed retailer and (b) that the person who possessed the gun when it was recovered by police was not its most recent purchaser. Altogether, 722 handguns were recovered and had trace results that met the additional criteria. Handguns acquired in multiple-gun, same-day transactions were more likely to be traced than were single-purchase handguns (odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.08 to 1.63). This was not the case for multiple-purchase handguns defined more broadly as multiple handguns purchased by one individual over any 30-day period as used in “one-gun-a-month” laws. Bivariate regressions indicated increased risk of a handgun being traced when it sold new for $150 or less (OR 4.28, 95% CI 3.59 to 5.11) or had been purchased by a woman (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.62 to 2.52). Handguns sold by retailers who also had a relatively high proportion (≥2%) of purchases denied because the prospective purchasers were prohibited from owning firearms were more likely to be traced than were those sold by other retailers (OR 4.09, 95% CI 3.39 to 4.94). These findings persisted in multivariate analyses. Our findings suggest specific strategies for intervention to prevent gun violence.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking

2010

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“…Some of the reported sales increase may reflect straw purchasing. The association disappeared when sales volume and denied sales were included, as was true in a study of disproportionate sales of traced firearms 20. Women acting as straw purchasers may select large-volume dealers or pawnbrokers who serve a high-risk clientele.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Respondents were most likely to identify suspect retailer behaviour as very important in this regard (the retailer is ‘known to “go along” and not ask questions’), but they also ranked as important factors that reflect clientele or community characteristics. It is plausible that all three domains play a role 19 20 35…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frequency of and responses to illegal activity related to commerce in firearms: findings from the Firearms Licensee Survey

Wintemute

2013

Inj Prev

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“…This is a politically charged topic and it is difficult to gather data about firearm sales, ownership, storage and use. Previous research suggests that some firearm retailers are disproportionately linked to the sale of guns used in crime 3. It is not clear whether this is due to neighbourhood and community characteristics or to practices of the retailer itself.…”

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confidence: 98%

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Johnston

2013

Inj Prev

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Disproportionate sales of crime guns among licensed handgun retailers in the United States: a case–control study

Abstract: A number of factors-most of them characteristics of the retailers or of their handgun purchasers, and most of them available in existing data-were linked to disproportionate sales of handguns that are later used in crime.

Cited by 17 publications

References 26 publications

Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking

Factors Affecting a Recently Purchased Handgun’s Risk for Use in Crime under Circumstances That Suggest Gun Trafficking

Frequency of and responses to illegal activity related to commerce in firearms: findings from the Firearms Licensee Survey

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