Gun shows are not, as some have argued, a venue for suicide and homicide. According to a new study from the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland,

To determine the impact of gun shows, the authors traced the number of gun-related deaths in ZIP codes close to where gun shows took place, looking at how the number of deaths changed leading up to and following the shows. Researchers looked at the gun-related deaths in the weeks immediately after gun shows and actually found a small decline in the number of homicides following shows in Texas.

“The absence of gun show regulations does not increase the number of gun-related deaths as proponents of these regulations suggest,” said Jacob, director of its Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy (CLOSUP).