Every year, gun violence imposes an unacceptable toll on people in the United States. In 2014, the most recent year for which final data are available, 33 599 people died from gun violence; the majority of these deaths were suicides (> 21 000 deaths), and firearm homicides accounted for more than 11 000 deaths. Unintentional shootings, in which children are often the shooter or victim, comprised more than 500 deaths in 2013. In addition to firearm fatalities, in 2013, more than 84 000 people in the United States suffered from nonfatal gunshot wounds, including both injuries resulting in hospitalization and injuries that were treated in emergency rooms but did not require admittance to the hospital.

Handguns that operate only for authorized users (called childproof, personalized, or “smart” guns) make the gun inoperable to anyone not authorized to use it. Such guns have the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality from firearms. If household guns were personalized to adult, authorized users only, youths would be unable to use them in suicidal crises, young children would be unable to unintentionally shoot playmates and siblings, and guns stolen from homes would not work (and as a result, have little to no value on the streets).