Murder Rates Collapse While Gun Rights Expand Post-Bruen
Homicides across the United States reached historic lows in 2025, with 2026 tracking toward an even lower year—directly contradicting anti-gun predictions that the Supreme Court's Bruen decision would unleash widespread violence. Despite fearmongering from gun-control advocates in states like Delaware, violent crime data shows the opposite trajectory: fewer people are being killed even as lawful gun ownership has expanded and carry permit restrictions have fallen.
Key Details
- 2025 homicide rates hit the lowest recorded levels in modern U.S. history
- 2026 is tracking toward breaking that record again
- This decline has occurred directly after the Bruen ruling (June 2022), which struck down may-issue carry permit schemes nationwide
- Gun-control activists in Delaware and other states continue demanding emergency legislative action despite the crime data
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
This data demolishes the core argument anti-gun groups have used since Bruen to demand new restrictions. When carry permits became easier to obtain and constitutional carry expanded across states, gun-rights advocates predicted public safety would hold steady or improve. That's exactly what happened. For concealed carry holders, this validates the position that law-abiding armed citizens don't drive homicide rates. The Delaware push for emergency restrictions ignores empirical reality: more legal gun owners correlates with fewer murders. Gun owners should use this data when legislators propose new bans or restrictions—demand officials explain why additional laws are needed when crime is historically low.
DownRange Analysis
The anti-gun movement is operating on a narrative divorced from measurable outcomes. Homicide rates began declining years before Bruen, but the decline has accelerated post-decision as carry permits became universal. This puts pressure on gun-control advocates to justify new restrictions on constitutional grounds rather than crime prevention. Any Delaware emergency session focused on new gun bans will face scrutiny under Bruen, which requires regulations to be consistent with historical tradition and text. The data also matters politically: voters increasingly see gun-rights policies working as intended. Gun owners should monitor Delaware's legislative calendar and contact elected officials with the homicide data when restrictions are proposed.
