kyle coplen, a graduate student at the university of houston is conducting an experiment which will definitivelyettle this debate. >> a social experiment ub like any other. giving away guns in high crime areas in an effort to reduce crimes. >> for about a month now coplen's been on a mission. >> we're looking at deterring crime by empowering citizens by offering up free 20-gauge shotguns. he says he wants to give away shotguns to test whether it helps reduce crime. >> stephen: the original plan was to give out batman costumes, [cheers and applause] but in texas, copyright laws are much stricter than gun laws. [laughter] now, some have questioned how coplen feels testing out his pro-gun theory so soon after the unimaginable tragedy of newtown. >> makes me feel great. i get up every morning with a pep in my step, giving out guns. living the dream. it's not like we're giving out cigarettes or alcohol, we're giving out guns. i don't see what the big deal is. >> stephen: yeah, he's not giving out cigarettes or alcohol. once you have the gun, you can get those for free! [laughter] but sadly, this expe