Impact of a Permitless Concealed Firearm Carry Law in West Virginia, 1999-2015 and 2016-2020.

We used firearm mortality and sales data to assess the impact of HB 4145, a May 2016 law that legalized concealed firearm carry without a permit in West Virginia. Firearm mortality was significantly higher (29%) in the years after the enactment of the law; handgun mortality was also higher (48% increase), whereas long gun deaths and firearm sales were unaffected. This may suggest that HB 4145 increased rates of firearm-related mortality in West Virginia without affecting firearm sales in the state. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(11):1163-1166. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307382).