The presence of a gun in the home triples the risk of homicide in that home, according to the New England Journal of Medicine .
Firearms substantially increase the lethality of a violent interaction.
Many gun manufacturers market guns to women, claiming a gun can provide protection. However, gun ownership may provide a false sense of security that can be fatal. A woman may own a gun to protect her family, but once the gun is brought into her home, it puts her and her family at increased risk of a gun homicide, suicide, or unintentional shooting. Family and intimate assaults that involve firearms are 12 times more likely to be fatal than those that do not involve firearms. The easy accessibility of guns in the home increases the risk of suicide.