The collision of two American epidemics.
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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Domestic Violence
The House just passed a new version of the law, which funds grants for abuse survivors. Senate Republicans have objected to the gun restrictions added by Democrats.
The Trace reviewed orders in Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, and South Dakota — and found that firearms restrictions were unevenly granted.
Rosemarie Reilly knew her ex might hurt her. But when she sought a restraining order, a judge allowed him to keep his guns.
Police officer Valerie Martinez put her small department at the vanguard. Her inventive policies are spreading.
Only 15 people turned over their firearms, according to a watchdog report, despite a state law that requires them to be disarmed.
Coronavirus & Guns
The tool could be a model for making it easier for people to seek court protection from domestic violence, even beyond the pandemic.
How We Fix This
The gun background check system is only as good as the records it contains. How one affable bureaucrat helped Louisiana set the standard for flagging people banned from owning firearms.
Widespread economic strain, a surge in firearm sales, and social distancing could have grave consequences for victims of intimate partner abuse, experts warn.
How a survivor of domestic violence, now working as a cop in the bayou, made her small community a model for the rest of the country.
Following The Trace’s reporting, Attorney General William Barr created a working group of U.S. Attorneys to share best practices for charging abusers who keep their guns.
When easy access to guns mixes with violent misogyny.
As U.S. attorneys prosecute more gun crimes, they are catching domestic abusers in their net.
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Violence Against Women believes that arming women in domestic violence situations is key to their safety, despite experts’ warnings that the introduction of guns into abusive relationships can imperil victims.
Commentary
We must recognize that abusers with guns can cause damage well before they fire.
Ask The Trace
A reader asks whether strict gun laws reduce killings by intimate partners. Experts say yes, but some laws are more effective than others.
