Yes it does. It's one of the reasons you have the highest rate of firearm homicides in the developed world. Easy access to handguns is another reason for you gun mortality rates. But none of this matters. US citizens as a whole have decided easy access to handguns, in particular, is more important than school kids' lives. No biggie, no skin off my nose, I'm just amused by the ridiculous arguments of those too scared to go shopping without carrying a sidearm.“What do you need an AR 15 for?”
This question is often asked in the wake of a mass shooting involving semi-automatic rifles.
But this question is without merit.
Citizens are not required to ‘justify’ the exercising of a fundamental right as a ‘prerequisite’ to indeed do so; the burden rests solely with government to justify placing limits and restriction on a fundamental right.
That one does not perceive a ‘need’ to own an AR 15 doesn’t warrant seeking to prohibit possessing such a firearm.
No, the reason why we have such a high rate is because we have a population of violent third world immigrants that number in the millions. They bring their violent cultures with them. But that's a fact that you ignore.