Report: R.I. Had 2nd-Lowest Gun Deaths for States in 2014

An analysis conducted by the Violent Policy Center has ranked Rhode Island as having the second-lowest gun deaths in the country for 2014.

The Providence Journal reports the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit examined data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, of which 2014 was the most recent year.

The Violence Policy Center attributed the high rating for Rhode Island to the state's strong gun control laws and lower rates of firearm ownership.

Rhode Island's gun death rate was about 3.22 per 100,000 people.

While the state may feature lower gun ownership, officials say background checks for gun sales in the state have more than doubled over the last decade.

Hawaii had the lowest rate of gun deaths in the country.