“Guns don’t kill people—people kill people” has been a popular pro-gun slogan since 1959. A variation involving marital infidelity has been cited in print since 1984, when it was credited to Don Rose:
 
“Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.”
     
 
4 January 1984, The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), Toby McDaniel column, pg. 23, col. 1:
“Guns don’t kill people; husbands who come home early kill people.” (Don Rose)
 
4 July 1986, Minneapolis (MN) Star and Tribune, “Games,” pg. 3C, col. 3:
“Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.”
   
Google Books
Ole & Lena jokes. Book 5
By E. C. Stangland
Sioux Falls, SD: Norse Press
1990
Pg. 3:
Ole’s friend, Lars, has a saying: “Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.”
         
Google Groups: rec.humor.funny
More from the One-liner Digest
Funny Guy
10/25/00
(...)
>From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Chris Palma)
>Subject: gun control slogan
 
Heard on the Joey Reynolds radio show:
 
“Guns don’t kill people, husbands who come home early kill people.”
 
Google Groups: soc.penpals
Guns don’t kill people
I.Am
3/23/07
Husbands who come home early kill people.
 
Twitter
Joseph Lombrozo‏
@djeebus
Guns don’t kill people, husbands who come home early do.
5:33 PM - 12 Jan 2008
   
Google Books
The Mammoth Book of One-Liners
Edited by Geoff Tibballs
London, UK: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2012
Pg. ?:
Guns don’t kill people. Husbands who come home early kill people.
 
Reddit—Oneliners
Guns don’t kill people….husbands who come home early, kill people!
submitted November 13, 2017 by manlian19