The UK homicide rate increased after handgun ownership was banned

the verdict

SUPPORTED

the evidence backs this

Recorded sources

2 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that the UK homicide rate increased after handgun ownership was banned?

Yes. Evidence indicates that overall homicide rates and criminal gun use rose in the years immediately following the UK handgun ban enacted in the late 1990s, before declining again in the 2000s.

Verdict: SUPPORTED · 2 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 31 Jul 2026

The analysis

Judged against statistical and reference sources.

Evidence for · 2

skeptics.stackexchange.com: Did the UK homicide rate go up after handgun ownership was banned?

Directly notes that the UK homicide rate rose from around 1990/the handgun ban up until a peak in 2003.

Get citation

skeptics.stackexchange.com: Did the UK homicide rate go up after handgun ownership was banned?. (n.d.). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/40697/did-the-uk-homicide-rate-go-up-after-handgun-ownership-was-banned

See more details

More for · 1

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk: Trends and drivers of homicide main findings: Annexes Trends and drivers of homicide main findings: Annexes 1 to 9

Confirms that homicide rates in England and Wales increased consistently from the 1960s through the 1990s.

Get citation

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk: Trends and drivers of homicide main findings: Annexes Trends and drivers of homicide main findings: Annexes 1 to 9. (n.d.). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e944d0cd3bf7f411f04deec/trends-and-drivers-of-homicide-main-findings-annexes.pdf

What does the evidence say?

Judged against statistical and reference sources.

Receipt History

first checked31 Jul 2026

judged → SUPPORTED · 7531 Jul 2026

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