The ATF, charged with policing the gun industry, lets dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in America’s gun violence problem.
American lives, shaped by guns.
The National Rifle Association is one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. We’re investigating how it spends its money.
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Community Violence
“There are things that might happen despite your best efforts, despite doing everything you can.”
The historic funding pledge directly ties the costs of gun violence to the country’s economic health.
How We Fix This
Some anti-violence groups were surprised to learn the task force had met at all. Others want to know why the committee doesn’t include more grassroots programs and community members.
Groups that mediate conflicts before they escalate say their outreach workers are barely getting by.
2020's shooting surge was overwhelming and in many cities unprecedented. But for outreach workers and other experts, it also led to new ideas and approaches.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposal prioritizes police reforms and expansions to social services. How officials will accomplish their goals is left unanswered.
Coronavirus & Guns
Teachers across the country are struggling to give students the support they need. In Philadelphia, that includes finding ways to protect them from shootings that are approaching record levels.
Away from the protests, shootings are on the rise. City leaders recently disbanded a police unit meant to prevent them — and what happens next might shape public safety for years.
2020 is on pace to have the most mass shootings since the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive started tracking them. In their wake, anti-violence activists say the lack of public outpouring feels familiar: “Nobody cares about us.”
READI addresses shootings by tackling joblessness, but without public funding, its future is in doubt.
Roberto Aspholm spent years researching the transformation of the city’s gangs. He says law enforcement in Chicago hasn’t caught up.
Birmingham has one of the country’s highest rates of fatal shootings. The defund movement has reinvigorated grassroots efforts to drive down violence.
As shootings rise and the pandemic continues, street outreach workers are juggling multiple roles to preserve community health.
With voters desperate to reduce shootings, three of the campaign’s black front-runners are embracing aggressive law enforcement tactics that could perpetuate racial disparities.
Shootings typically jump during summer months. Gun violence prevention groups hope reinforcements can stem the tide.
