Tulane awarded grant to study gun laws and pregnancy-related homicides

Tulane University has received a $237,000 grant from the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research to evaluate whether state laws allowing temporary firearm removal from individuals in dangerous situations impact rates of intimate partner homicide during and after pregnancy.

The study by epidemiologist Maeve Wallace will analyze data over the past decade on homicide rates and the enactment of "red flag" extreme risk protection order laws and domestic violence restraining order laws that enable courts to temporarily prohibit gun access.

It will examine if such laws reduce pregnancy-associated homicide overall and across racial/ethnic groups. The project also aims to explore opportunities and barriers in translating research findings into state firearm policies.

“Homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and postpartum women in the U.S., with most cases involving an intimate partner using a gun,”

Maeve Wallace, associate professor of Social, Behavioral and Population Sciences

“Homicide is a leading cause of death among pregnant and postpartum women in the U.S., with most cases involving an intimate partner using a gun,” said principal investigator Maeve Wallace, associate professor of Social, Behavioral and Population Sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. “The study's goal is to inform policies that protect maternal health and safety.”

The research is expected to be completed by February 2026.