Oklahoma County District Judge Don Andrews rejected a request by pro-gun control advocates to toss a law eliminating requirements for most gun owners to undergo a background check or training before carrying a firearm in public.

An additional 55 to 63 people have been murdered each year in Missouri following the state’s 2007 repeal of its permit-to-purchase (PTP) handgun law, which required all handgun purchasers to obtain a license verifying that they have passed a background check.