This Research in Brief discusses the current status of research and evaluations concerning firearms and violent crime, as reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Understanding and Control of Violent Behavior. Innovations in laws, law enforcement, public education, and technology all show promise of reducing gun murders by selectively making firearms less available to persons likely to use them in violence, less accessible in situations where violence is likely to occur, or less lethal. Key findings include: Firearms are used in about 60 percent of the murders committed in this country, and attacks by firearms injure thousands of others. The risk of being murdered with a firearm falls disproportionately on young people, particularly young black men. Greater gun availability increases the rates of murder and felony gun use, but does not appear to affect general violence levels.