Using Alaska in comparison to any other State as regards gun control is not productive. Alsaka is a sparsely populated state with many people living in the 'wild". I have encountered bear, wolf, and moose, within the city limits of Anchorage. People carry firearms for survival from the wild predators more than the two-legged type.
The more people you place together in a small space such as NYC or LA, the more conflict you encounter. Regulation is used as an attempt to control violence and gun related deaths in these areas because it's about all the politicians can control. They don't get the concept that criminals will have guns, legal or not. They are only able to control guns with the law abiding community for the very fact that these people follow the laws. The rest don't and no amount of regulation will change the fact. Violent Crime is like the weather. Some years are hot, some cold. Some have more hurricanes, some don't. Some years are violent and there are lots of shootings and then for no explainable reason there are few for the next few years. Just like the weather.
Even if some giant "Magnet" was passed over the country that snatched up EVERY gun, so that NOBODY was armed with a firearm, the death toll would likely remain the same. Take a look at any of the "futuristic movies" where people were disarmed. Remember all the wrist mounted cross-bows in Road Warrior? The baseball bats with spikes? Take away guns and we just go back to the middle-ages. There are times when people will want to kill people. They will use whatever they can to do so. To all those that say guns make it easy I say "so what". Without guns they'll have to outlaw all knives (kitchen knives are more often used in stabbings than "tactical" knives), then it will be hammers. Carpenters will have to find some other way to pound nails because their nail guns will be gone too. America's pastime will be gone because there won't be any more baseball bats (except for illegal ones). No more rope, scarves, nylon pantyhose, plastic bags, wire, and on and so forth forever.
Weapons are merely what a disturbed mind decides to use to kill someone. The mind that is disturbed will find something even if it is just a rock. What do you suppose Cain used to kill his brother Abel?