"We have tens of thousands of people every single year who are killed by guns," he said. "We have suicides that are committed by firearms at a rate that far exceeds other countries."

As of 2012, the US had the 50th highest suicide rate per 100,000 citizens in the world, according to the World Health Organization. When compared to fellow advanced countries, the US was in the top 10 worldwide.

Breaking down the suicide rates by state, there is a positive correlation between states with stronger gun-control laws and a lower suicide rate. Of course, this relationship does not prove that stronger gun control prevents or even reduces suicides, but it does show that the two are linked in a potentially important way.