I'm not sure what your point here is. If GP is right, and crime rates don't go down... then it seems that motivation doesn't really go down all that much either?

That's just more motivation to shoot anyone you see.

Yes, that is why violent deaths are so low in the US per capita, the knowledge that you might lose your life in the commision of a crime.

/s, if anyone misses the sarcasm.

Does it go down for the people committing crimes? Prisons are full of inmates with poor impulse control, and/or who aren't capable of understanding risk.

I understand that for the average HN reader the known presence of guns in an area is probably going to move the probability of robbing a stranger from 0.001% to 0.0005% or something, but I'm not convinced the thought process of actual criminals works the same way.