Louisiana Leads the Nation in Gun Deaths

Well, shoot! Recent reports indicate that Louisiana has more deaths as the result of firearms than any other state in the nation. Government data published earlier this week indicates that 865 Louisiana residents were shot and killed in 2011.

According to the Violence Policy Center, the reason Louisiana has the highest rate of gun deaths is because the state has weak gun laws and everyone is packing heat. The organization says that states with stricter gun laws do not have near as many issues with people being killed with guns.

A report from the VPC shows that nearly 19 out of every 100,000 Louisiana residents die from a gunshot wound. This organization attributes this unsavory statistic to the fact that there are guns in about 46 percent of Louisiana households.

"Gun violence is preventable, and states can pass effective laws that will dramatically reduce gun death and injury," said Josh Sugarmann, with the Violence Policy Center. "Our analysis also shows that states with weak gun violence prevention laws and easy access to guns pay a severe price with gun death rates far above the national average."

Louisiana recently passed a couple of new gun laws. Governor Bobby Jindal signed legislation that allows residents to bring firearms into restaurants and lets law enforcement officers carry guns into bars.