This study examines the effectiveness of the ban on the open carry of firearms in California (implemented in January, 2012). Data was taken from the U.S. Vital Statistics website on a monthly basis from January, 2006 to December, 2017, and it incorporated gun-related murder totals as well as totals for African Americans and Caucasians. RDD and DID regressions were run (using Texas as a control state) in order to determine the impact of the law. The RDD turned out insignificant results. The DID showed that the law had a significant negative impact on total homicides (decreasing them by about 1 murder every 4 months). It also produced significant negative impacts for both African Americans and Caucasians, although it was a more drastic decrease for Black citizens. This study concludes the effectiveness of the open carry ban and the need for further research on the impact of gun control laws.
