Sorry, that "people kill people," while true, doesn't totally fly. If someone is planning to kill someone and a gun is not available, they will use other available weapons. But they are more likely to fail, and they will not be able to kill many people, and hopefully none before being subdued. The other example, a crime of passion (heat of the moment) is given. If the person who loses it and attacks someone has a gun, the other person is a lot more likely to die than if they use a knife, or a board, or pantyhose or whatever. Handgun death statistics are not merely indicative of a high murder rate, they are indicative of greater handgun availability to people, be they criminals or otherwise. People with guns often don't mean to kill, but it happens anyway.