His studies have found a strong link between guns and violent death. In 1993, Kellermann was the lead investigator in a study that looked at homicides that occurred in homes in Cleveland, Memphis, and Seattle over five years. The results showed that homicides occurred nearly three times more often in homes where guns were stored than in otherwise comparable homes where there was no gun. Even though Kellermann counsels against keeping guns in the home, he is not an anti-gun zealot. My dad taught me how to shoot when I was eleven or twelve years old.
Firearms are fascinating pieces of equipment.
I enjoy the sport of shooting, although I rarely shoot anymore. However, as a clinician, as someone who is committed to emergency medicine, it is equally evident to me that firearm violence is wreaking havoc on public health. With his latest project, Kellermann hopes to alter that trend by moving from merely pointing out problems related to gun violence to actually effecting a solution. It's time to move on, to try various approaches to preventing firearm violence. Some will work and some won't.