Gun deaths in CA rise after NV gun shows, report says

(CNN) - When Nevada hosts gun shows, California sees a spike in gun-related deaths and injuries, according to a new study conducted by the University of California Berkeley and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers looked at gun deaths and injuries in California before and after gun shows in California and Nevada.

The study said after gun shows in California, the Golden State didn't see a spike in gun deaths and injuries, but communities within a driving distance of Nevada saw an increase after gun shows in the neighboring state. Researchers found those communities saw deaths and injuries from firearms increased nearly 70 percent.

"Our study suggests that California's strict regulations - on firearms, generally, and on gun shows, specifically - may be effective in preventing short-term increases in firearm deaths and injuries following gun shows," said the study's lead author, Ellicott Matthay, a Ph.D. student in UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. 

The study identified 275 gun shows in Nevada, mostly in Reno and Las Vegas, and 640 gun shows in California between 2005 and 2013. 

During the study period, California required background checks on all firearms purchases, but Nevada did not.

Researchers say the study suggests that travel to less-restrictive states like Nevada may threaten the effectiveness of firearm laws within California. 

More than 4,000 gun shows are held annually in the U.S., and gun shows account for 4 to 9 percent of annual firearm sales.

Copyright 2017 CNN. All rights reserved. Raycom News Network contributed to this report.