News
April 2023
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April 25, 2023Estimated 6.5 million Californians know someone at risk of harming themselves, others
A new study shows one in five adults in California, or about 6.5 million people, know someone at risk of harming themselves or others.
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March 2023
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March 17, 2023Can records of firearm purchases help prevent mass shootings?
A first-of-its-kind study examining records of gun purchases in California found that mass and active shooters have distinct patterns of buying guns compared to other legal purchasers.
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January 2023
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January 11, 2023
What are ‘red flag’ laws and how can they prevent gun violence?
Psychiatrist Amy Barnhorst explains how red flag laws work and how ordinary people can utilize them if they are concerned someone is at risk of harming themselves and others with a gun.
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January 06, 2023Artificial intelligence could aid in evaluating parole decisions
A machine-learning algorithm found the New York State Parole Board may be able to safely parole more inmates, potentially reducing incarceration rates.
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September 2022
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September 06, 2022New study finds racial and ethnic differences in perception and use of ‘red flag’ laws
Although extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) show promise in preventing firearm violence, new research from the Violence Prevention Research Program finds racial and ethnic differences in how ERPOs are perceived and used in California.
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August 2022
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August 01, 2022
Free course to help health care providers reduce gun violence
The BulletPoints Project has launched a free online course to help health care providers and others reduce gun violence. The hour-long training teaches clinicians how to identify at-risk patients and how to intervene according to the type and level of risk of firearm violence.
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July 2022
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July 20, 2022Survey finds alarming trend toward political violence
A new report published by researchers at the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program reveals alarming trends in attitudes toward violence, including political violence, in the United States.
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July 14, 2022Machine learning identifies gun buyers at risk of suicide
A first-of-its-kind study from the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis shows an algorithm can forecast the likelihood of firearm suicide using handgun purchasing data. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
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June 2022
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June 17, 2022Extreme risk protection orders to prevent mass shootings: What does the research show?
Mass shooters frequently share their plans, creating opportunities to intervene. Experts from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program provide an overview of the research on mass shootings and the “red flag” laws or extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs) designed to stop them.
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June 07, 2022California’s ‘red flag’ law utilized for 58 threatened mass shootings
A new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program shows that California’s “red flag” law was utilized for 58 threatened mass shootings during the first three years after it was implemented. The majority of GVROs (96.5%) were filed by law enforcement officers to prevent threatened violence.
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May 2022
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May 26, 2022
Gun Violence: UC Davis Researches Causes, Trends, Solutions
Garen Wintemute, an emergency department physician and director of the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, and Amy Barnhorst, an associate professor of psychiatry and vice chair for clinical services, took up the question of gun violence on UC Davis LIVE April 19.
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May 04, 2022Violence prevention expert Buggs attends White House ceremony tackling ‘ghost guns’
Shani Buggs, an assistant professor with the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program, attended a White House ceremony as a representative of the Fund Peace coalition. The event marked new rules cracking down on untraceable “DIY” firearms known as ghost guns.
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January 2022
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January 28, 2022Unemployment associated with increase in violence early in COVID-19 pandemic
The sharp rise in unemployment during the first five months of the pandemic was associated with an increase in firearm violence and homicide in 16 major American cities. That was the finding of a new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program.
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January 03, 2022New research shows violence is broadly felt by millions of Californians
Researchers at UC Davis Health have shown millions of Californians are indirectly impacted by violence. While relatively few experience violent acts, 64% of surveyed Californians heard gunshots, passed sidewalk memorials or learned about violence through their social networks.
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December 2021
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December 21, 2021Handgun ownership and intimate partner violence history increases risk of violent crime
Researchers at UC Davis Health have shown that handgun owners charged with intimate partner violence were more likely to reoffend and commit other violent crimes, including murder, rape and aggravated assault.
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December 09, 2021Violence increased most in marginalized neighborhoods early in the COVID-19 pandemic
Low-income communities of color experienced significantly greater increases in firearm violence, homicides and assaults compared to more affluent communities during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program.
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November 2021
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November 09, 2021Latino and Hispanic men up to 66% more likely to be convicted of DUI, according to study
Racial bias may play a role in DUI convictions of Latino and Hispanic men in California, according to a new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program. The study compared alcohol-related crashes and DUI convictions.
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November 04, 2021Guns, violence and political extremism putting U.S. at risk of disaster, according to expert
Garen Wintemute, one of the foremost experts on firearm violence in the U.S., is sounding the alarm that increases in gun purchases, violence and political extremism are putting the United States at risk for disaster in the coming months.
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October 2021
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October 19, 2021More resources needed for Gun Violence Restraining Order law to be effective, new study finds
A new study from the Violence Prevention Research Program finds that California’s Gun Violence Restraining Order law has been hampered by a lack of funding to support local implementation efforts, leading to inconsistent practices and confusion.
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October 07, 2021History of alcohol offenses associated with higher suicide risk for men who bought handguns
New research from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program finds that legal handgun purchasers with a history of alcohol charges, such as DUIs, have more than twice the risk of suicide. Access to firearms is a strong risk factor for suicide.
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August 2021
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August 27, 2021New study shows rundown neighborhoods not slated to go into a steep decline
Rundown neighborhoods may not be slated to go into steep declines. A study of Detroit from the California Firearm Violence Research Center shows the tipping point into violence is not as inevitable as the landmark “broken windows” theory would suggest.
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August 03, 2021Two-thirds of California firearm owners with children do not store guns in recommended way
Firearm injuries are among the leading causes of death for children and adolescents in the U.S., but a new study finds two-thirds of firearm-owning adults in California who live with children do not store their guns safely, locked up and unloaded.
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July 2021
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July 07, 2021U.S. saw surge in firearm purchases and violence during first months of COVID-19 pandemic
Firearm purchases and firearm violence surged during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Firearm purchases increased by 85% and interpersonal firearm injuries increased by 27%. Approximately 9.3 million firearms were purchased during this period.
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June 2021
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June 04, 2021Most Californians unaware of law to prevent gun violence but would support using it
A new study shows that two-thirds of Californians don’t know about a law designed to prevent a person at risk of hurting themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms or ammunition. More than 80% of survey participants were supportive once they read about this law.
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January 2021
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January 14, 2021Exposure to violence takes a toll on the socioemotional well-being of Californians
A survey of Californians finds that exposure to violence has pervasive social and emotional impacts on people, especially when firearms are involved.
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January 04, 2021Concerns about violence increase in California amid COVID-19 pandemic
Study finds that people in California are more worried about violence during COVID-19 pandemic.
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October 2020
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October 05, 2020New website dedicated to education and awareness about firearm injury prevention
Firearm prevention and research experts at UC Davis Health have launched a web site designed for health care providers. The goal is to help them work with patients to prevent firearm-related harm.
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September 2020
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September 08, 2020Gun owner perceptions about actual firearm dangers suggest opportunities for improving gun safety
Owning a gun or living in a house with a gun linked to a lower perception of risk for gun violence.
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August 2020
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August 26, 2020
Gunshot injuries in California drop, but percentage of firearm deaths goes up
Despite a significant drop in gun injuries, California has experienced a substantial increase in the state’s overall death rate among those wounded by firearms.
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August 14, 2020
New funding for firearm violence research in California
The UC Firearm Violence Research Center has awarded more than $250,000 in unique firearm violence research projects to seven teams of investigators.
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August 04, 2020Two UC Davis Health experts featured in national medical journal
Nancy Lane and Garen Wintemute each have featured commentaries in the Aug. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Lane discusses a promising treatment for osteoarthritis. Wintemute has a call to action for health professionals to address disparities in society that are causing violence and harming health.
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July 2020
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July 31, 2020Insights about firearm ownership and opinion may help advance gun violence prevention policy
Understanding firearm ownership and opinion may help advance gun violence prevention policies, according to UC Davis Health researchers in a new study out today.
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July 06, 2020Surge in firearm purchasing during pandemic’s onset linked to higher rates of firearm violence in U.S.
A surge in firearm purchasing in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic – estimated to be over 2.1 million excess purchases – is linked to a significant increase in firearm violence, a study by UC Davis Violence Prevention Program suggests.
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June 2020
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June 18, 2020UC Davis study details use of extreme risk protection orders in California over first four years
The population-based study is one of the first to detail the early use of ERPOs in California. The policies help fill a gap in violence prevention efforts by allowing individuals to intervene when someone who is not prohibited from owning a firearm poses an immediate risk of violence to themselves or others.
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March 2020
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March 10, 2020Felons have high gun ownership rates despite prohibitions
There is a substantial population of firearm owners in California and likely across the U.S. who have retained their guns even after being involved in events that prohibited them from ownership, a UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program study has found.
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September 2019
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September 30, 2019Handgun purchasers with a prior DUI have a greater risk for serious violence, study finds
A UC Davis study of nearly 80,000 legal handgun owners in California finds that those with a prior DUI conviction have a greater risk of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and other serious violent crimes compared to those without DUI convictions.
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