The left is so fond of gaslighting and lying, that I would need to examine their figures quite closely. I would need to understand the source and any possible bias that source would bring. I would need to see if there are unaccounted factors such as population loss. I would need to see the figures of violent crimes perpetrated by criminals who might fear armed citizens less.
For one thing, “gun deaths” includes suicides as well as justifiable homicides, the latter being an especially galling contributor to the total, as if it should be minimized.