The fact bazza would take a stat like that at face value and think it means those states are doing something right, says it all.
you would have to also take into account,
demographics both racial and age
religeous make up of the state
% living at or below poverty line
urbanization and size of major cities
cost of living
wealth inequality
health
crime levels
illigal immigration
drug use
drug trafiking
divorce rate
general happyness
education
mental illness rates, as well as mental health care
the weather
prison population and incarciration rate
murder rate
fuck me the list is never ending of factors that would contribute to ****s shooting each other, but im sure you took all this into consideration, ofcourse you didnt.