▁Sydney ▁found ▁that ▁Australia ▁experienced ▁ 6 9 ▁gun ▁hom ic ides ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁( not ▁counting ▁the ▁Port ▁Arthur ▁mass acre ), ▁compared ▁to ▁ 3 0 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁drop ▁in ▁fire arm ▁hom ic ides ▁was ▁not ▁attributed ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁fire ar ms ▁agreement . ▁A ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁study ▁led ▁by ▁Simon ▁Chap man , ▁also ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Sydney , ▁found ▁that ▁after ▁the ▁N FA ▁was ▁passed , ▁the ▁country ▁experienced ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁de cade ▁without ▁mass ▁shoot ings ▁and ▁acceler ated ▁falls ▁in ▁gun ▁death s , ▁especially ▁suic ides . ▁Sam ara ▁Mc Ph ed ran ▁and ▁Jean ine ▁Baker , ▁research ers ▁for ▁gun ▁lo bb y ▁group ▁Women ▁in ▁Sho oting ▁and ▁Hun ting ▁( W i SH ), ▁considered ▁whether ▁the ▁N FA ▁had ▁any ▁effect ▁in ▁elimin ating ▁mass ▁shoot ings ▁by ▁using ▁New ▁Zealand ▁( a ▁country ▁with ▁many ▁similar ities ▁to ▁Australia ) ▁as ▁a ▁comparison ▁and ▁found ; ▁“ there ▁is ▁little ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁proposition ▁that ▁prohib iting ▁certain ▁types ▁of ▁fire ar ms ▁explains ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁mass ▁shoot ings ▁in ▁Australia ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 6 ”. ▁ ▁Another ▁study ▁by ▁Baker ▁and ▁Mc Ph ed ran ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁did ▁not ▁find ▁a ▁significant ▁effect ▁of ▁the ▁N FA ▁on ▁Australia ' s ▁hom ic ide ▁rate . ▁While ▁research ▁does ▁show ▁a ▁steady ▁decl ine