In 2020, there were less than 50,000 active concealed carry permits in “may-issue” Maryland. As of April, 2025, more than 200,000 Maryland residents had obtained their “shall-issue” license to carry, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision in Bruen four years ago.
According to gun control activists, when SCOTUS struck down “may issue” licensing laws, it was going to lead to a surge in violent crime. Instead, the U.S. homicide rate is the lowest its been since at least 1960, and one of the cities that’s made the most progress over the past few years is Baltimore, Maryland.
Between 2015 and 2022, Baltimore recorded at least 300 homicides a year. The numbers started falling in 2023, not long after the Maryland State Police began issuing carry permits on a “shall issue” basis, and as more Baltimore residents started exercising their right to carry. They’ve been dropping ever since, and last month the city recorded a stat that would have dumbfounded many residents, officials, and law enforcement just a decade ago.
Baltimore saw its fewest monthly homicides since at least 1970, with four cases reported in April.
It comes as the city continues to record considerable declines in violent crime, experiencing its safest period in more than 50 years.
As of May 1, the city recorded 33 homicides and 89 non-fatal shootings so far this year, compared to 37 homicides and 101 non-fatal shootings at this time last year. This represents a 10.8% decrease in homicides and a 11.9% drop in non-fatal shootings.
Now, I’m not claiming that shall-issue right to carry is the main driver in the steep reduction in homicides. I’m just pointing out that the predictions of the gun control lobby were wildly inaccurate. There are far more Baltimore residents legally carrying guns today than there were in 2022, and the city is the safest it’s been in more than 50 years.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has pointed to the city’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy as the main reason for the rapid decline in homicides. So what does that strategy entail? Well, it sounds a lot like the targeted deterrence program known as Operation Ceasefire that we’ve discussed at length here at Bearing Arms, including just a couple of days ago when we looked at its success in Oakland, California.
In both cities, police identify those most at risk of committing a shooting and then give them the resources needed to chart a new direction in life; GED classes, job training, counseling, and mentors to help keep them on the straight and narrow. For those who want to take advantage of this opportunity, the impact is literally life-changing and life-saving. And for those who persist in carrying on with their criminal ways, prosecutors seek the maximum punishment allowed under state law or refer cases to the local U.S. Attorney.
The strategy doesn’t depend on imposing new gun control laws. Honestly, it doesn’t really depend on old gun control laws either, with the exception of felon in possession statutes.
It’s not uncommon in the criminal justice system for defendants to take a plea deal that involves them accepting guilt for a lesser offense. In fact, that, by far, is how the vast majority of felony cases are adjudicated. But those prolific criminals who keep on shooting don’t get to plead down to illegal gun possession or possession of a “large capacity” magazine. Instead, they go to trial on aggravated assault, attempted murder, and other far more serious charges that carry far more time behind bars as punishment.
It’s crazy to me that some folks see Operation Ceasefire as some kind of progressive soft-on-crime strategy, just because some cities that implement it choose to dole out small cash stipends when participants reach some of their goals. Operation Ceasefire is all about individual accountability. There are no excuses for someone’s criminal behavior, and there are no excuses for those who can’t or won’t accept the help that is offered to turn their lives around. I’s not about “root causes” or environmental factors. At it’s most fundamental level, it’s about not offensively pulling the trigger.
If Scott wants to brag about Baltimore reducing murders to 50 year lows, I don’t have a problem with that. But when he starts pushing for more gun control, I’m just going to remind everyone I can that this is happening while more Baltimoreans are exercising their Second Amendment rights than ever before. More guns, less crime. A win/win all around.
Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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