Arizona got an F grade for its gun laws. Here’s why

In the decade since the nonprofit organization Giffords launched its mission to end gun violence in the U.S., Arizona has consistently received an abysmal “F” from the organization’s Gun Law Scorecard. Yet again, the state received a failing grade this year.

Out of the 50 states, Arizona ranked 41st for the strength of its gun laws in 2024. Though that’s an improvement from when Giffords released its first report in 2014 — Arizona ranked 48th then — that isn’t because Arizona’s gun safety laws are getting stronger. Instead, it’s because gun laws nationwide are getting worse.

“We’ve been consistently ranked with an ‘F’ score in Arizona for as long as I can remember,” Arizonans for Gun Safety President Maya Zuckerberg said. “And quite frankly, it’s a well-deserved ‘F.’”

Giffords was founded by former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords and her husband, Sen. Mark Kelly, in the wake of the 2011 Tucson shooting that left Giffords with a severe brain injury after being shot in the head. Giffords resigned from the U.S. House and turned her focus to gun safety advocacy.

Here are Arizona’s gun laws in a nutshell: You must be 18 years old to purchase a rifle or shotgun and 21 years old to buy a handgun. The state does not require permits for open or concealed carry for of-age buyers. However, guns can’t be carried into schools, polling stations, post offices, courthouses and other various establishments with “no weapons” postings.

Arizona’s grade from Giffords is less about what the state regulates and more about what it does not provide. The state does not require background checks when purchasing a gun from someone who isn’t a licensed dealer nor does it require a waiting period before purchasing a firearm. Arizona also lacks laws requiring safe storage and restricting the ownership of assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.

Unlike Arizona, 19 states have legislation requiring a background check before purchasing a gun, 10 require a waiting period, 21 states have red-flag laws, and 27 states have safe storage laws.

“There’s no controversy about this in the public, only within politics,” Zuckerberg said. “There’s contention over things that are widely supported by the public, and our legislature isn’t listening to the wants and needs of their constituents.”

Gun deaths have gone up

The rate of gun deaths has worsened in Arizona, increasing 43% from 2013 to 2022 — greater than the nationwide increase of 36%. Nearly 1,400 people die from gun violence every year in Arizona, which means that someone dies from gun violence every seven hours, according to Giffords. For every 100,000 people in the Grand Canyon State, 18 die from gun violence each year.

Giffords released its 2024 scorecard on Dec. 17, the day after the Abundant Life Christian School shooting in Madison, Wis., that killed two people and injured six. The shooter also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. It was the 83rd school shooting this year. Once again, organizations urged the passage of gun safety legislation nationwide, as well as in Arizona.

In a statement, College Democrats of Arizona President Colin Mcpherson called on “leaders at every level of government to take immediate action to prevent gun deaths in schools.” Giffords Legal Director Lindsay Nichols said she hopes Arizona lawmakers will prioritize legislation that catches Arizona up to other states: requiring background checks and a waiting period before purchasing a gun, implementing red-flag laws, passing a safe storage law and funding community-based intervention programs.

With a GOP-controlled legislature, the odds of a gun law makeover in Arizona are slim. But Nichols believes lawmakers can change their minds.

“They should take a closer look at the problem with gun violence that Arizona has and the suffering that it's causing Arizonans,” she said. “We hope legislators will take a closer look so they can really recognize the need for these kinds of laws.”

While organizations such as Giffords and Arizonans for Gun Safety have pushed for major changes, gun-rights advocates scoff at such proposals. Charles Heller, the co-founder of Arizona Citizens Defense League, argues instead for intensive gun education, respect for “the power of the firearm” and physical safety measures in schools.

Heller called background checks a “scam” and red-flag laws “one of those most egregious violations of civil rights.” He wants to see more children educated on how to properly and safely use a gun, the prosecution of people who misuse guns and Arizona schools implementing a layered system of physical and technology-based security measures.

“Arizona Citizens Defense League has been in the lead of preventing those cancerous growths in Arizona Law,” Heller said, referencing Giffords’ gun safety aims.