Owning a gun for protection

So, the NRA and gun advocates are claiming that the best defense aginst violent criminals is for the "good guys" to own guns so they can fight back.  Let's examine the evidence.


Source-

Via the American Journal of Public Health:

Objectives. We investigated the possible relationship between being shot in an assault and possession of a gun at the time. [...]

Results. After adjustment, individuals in possession of a gun were 4.46 (P < .05) times more likely to be shot in an assault than those not in possession. Among gun assaults where the victim had at least some chance to resist, this adjusted odds ratio increased to 5.45 (P < .05).

Conclusions. On average, guns did not protect those who possessed them from being shot in an assault. Although successful defensive gun uses occur each year, the probability of success may be low for civilian gun users in urban areas. Such users should reconsider their possession of guns or, at least, understand that regular possession necessitates careful safety countermeasures.