Report labels Mississippi a 'national failure' in gun safety among 50 states. See why
Pam Dankins- A new study ranks Mississippi as having the second-weakest gun laws in the US.
- Mississippi has a gun death rate of 29.4 deaths per 100,000 people, significantly higher than the national average.
- The Magnolia State Shooting Sports Alliance argues that more gun laws do not necessarily equate to lower crime rates.
Mississippi is a "national failure" when it comes to its gun safety laws, according to a 2025 study by a non-profit gun violence prevention group.
Everytown Research & Policy, under Everytown Gun Safety, used gun death rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and compared the rates with a composite score. The score was gathered from 50 policies that the organization said are scientifically proven to prevent gun violence. The CDC's data includes homicides, accidental killings and suicides involving firearms.
According to the report, Mississippi ranked 49 out of 50 states based on two key metrics: it has some of the weakest gun laws, which received a composite score of 4 out of 100; and its high gun violence rate of 29.4 deaths per 100,000 people — 15.7 points higher than the national average (13.7).
The report also revealed that Mississippi ranked last out of 50 states in its 2024 study, once again labeling the state as a "national failure" for failing "to put basic protections into place."
"Mississippi has among the weakest gun laws in the country," the report states. "The state has none of the foundational gun laws in place, and only a few policies total — having most recently repealed the requirement to get a permit before carrying a concealed handgun in public. It also has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in the country. Mississippi is also among the top states in household firearm ownership."
In stark contrast, California and Massachusetts are deemed "national leaders" in the report, holding some of the strongest gun law policies in the country with composite scores of 90.5 and 86.5, respectively. Researchers found that California has a gun violence rate of eight deaths per 100,000 people, while Massachusetts has a rate of 3.7 deaths per 100,000 people.
Idaho ranked last in the nation due to the weakness of its gun laws, which received a score of 3.5, and its high rate of gun deaths, at 17.9, according to the analysis.
The Clarion Ledger reached out to the Magnolia State Shooting Sports Alliance, the official state association of the National Rifle Association, asking if the organization had a statement or any comments on the report such as the accuracy or reliability. The alliance said its mission is "to foster and promote safe firearm shooting sports for law abiding citizens of the great State of Mississippi and to defend our Second Amendment rights established by our forefathers."
Tara Fritz, legislative affairs board member with the Magnolia State Shooting Sports Alliance, provided on Thursday the following statement in full:
"The rankings cited have been widely criticized as arbitrary based on the way they combine and weigh various laws into one score. This doesn't demonstrate a causal relationship with violence as other factors like socioeconomic conditions often play a role. Another factor to consider is actual enforcement of existing laws. While we are all concerned about safety, merely having more gun laws on the books is not the answer."
See how Mississippi stood on three of the 50 policies analyzed:
Are background checks for handgun purchases at point of sale and/or permit to purchase required in Mississippi?
According to the report, no. That means that private sellers are not required to conduct a background check on the buyer who may be legally prohibited from having guns due to criminal history, mental health disability or other factors.
Researchers stated in the report that state laws requiring background checks at the point of sale and/or as part of a permit to purchase are associated with lower rates of firearm homicide, firearm suicide and firearm trafficking.
Are assault weapons prohibited from purchasing in Mississippi?
The report found assault-style weapons, originally designed for military use, are not prohibited to purchase in Mississippi. According to the study, high-powered semi-automatic firearms including AR-15 and AK-47 rifles are used in most high-profile mass shootings.
Are auto sears/Glock switches prohibited in Mississippi?
According to the report, it is illegal to manufacture, sell or own machine gun conversion devices in Mississippi. Auto sears, often in the form of “Glock switches,” alter the trigger mechanisms of semi-automatic pistols and rifles, enabling the guns to continuously fire rounds as long as the trigger is depressed, and the gun has ammunition.
Mississippi is one of 23 states to have its own laws against machine gun conversion devices.