Gun Policy

How 30 Years of Federal Background Checks Changed Gun Buying, by the Numbers

Background Checks

How 30 Years of Federal Background Checks Changed Gun Buying, by the Numbers

To mark the anniversary of the 1993 Brady Bill, The Trace charted the evolving landscape of gun purchasing and gun violence.

Chip Brownlee
I’ve Told Hundreds of Stories About Gun Violence. It’s Time to Tell My Own.

The Gun Machine

I’ve Told Hundreds of Stories About Gun Violence. It’s Time to Tell My Own.

In February 2008, reporter Alain Stephens's father took his own life with a firearm. In the final episode of The Gun Machine, Stephens meets with others who lost loved ones to guns — and tries to make sense of the senseless.

Alain Stephens and Grace Tatter
Will Maine’s Permissive Gun Laws Change After the Lewiston Shooting?

Gun Policy

Will Maine’s Permissive Gun Laws Change After the Lewiston Shooting?

The state has high rates of gun ownership, yet mass shootings were virtually unheard of — until now.

Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee
The Evolution of the Crime Gun

The Gun Machine

The Evolution of the Crime Gun

In this episode of The Gun Machine, we take a closer look at the one group of customers the firearms industry doesn’t want you to think about: criminals.

Alain Stephens and Grace Tatter
Illinois Legislators Introduce Karina’s Bill to Remove Guns from Abusers

Chicago

Illinois Legislators Introduce Karina’s Bill to Remove Guns from Abusers

Named for domestic violence victim Karina González, the measure would require law enforcement officers to quickly remove guns from people who have orders of protection against them.

Rita Oceguera
New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Fell Short. What Could Work?

Bulletin

New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Fell Short. What Could Work?

The backlash came from gun rights and gun reform proponents, progressives and conservatives, and from key officials within Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s party.

Sunny Sone
New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Isn’t a Longterm Solution. Here’s Why.

Concealed Carry

New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Isn’t a Longterm Solution. Here’s Why.

A bold move to curtail gun violence in Albuquerque has gotten a lot of attention, but less controversial solutions hold more promise.

Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee
Inside a State Legislator’s Fight Against the Gun Industry’s Legal Immunity

The Industry

Inside a State Legislator’s Fight Against the Gun Industry’s Legal Immunity

Illinois is the eighth state to pass a law requiring gun companies to impose “reasonable controls” on their marketing and distribution practices. All of them took inspiration from the same New York bill.

Champe Barton
Research Indicates That Red Flag Laws Work — But Only If People Know About Them

Extreme Risk Protection Orders

Research Indicates That Red Flag Laws Work — But Only If People Know About Them

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act incentivized states to implement extreme risk protection orders, and provide information about them to the public. A new study focuses on what messages are likely to work best.

Fairriona Magee
The Subversion of Domestic Terror Laws at Cop City

Bulletin

The Subversion of Domestic Terror Laws at Cop City

Civil rights advocates were concerned when Georgia expanded its domestic terrorism law after the Charleston shooting. Six years later, it appears their criticisms have borne out.

Sunny Sone
Is There a Path to Gun Reform Without Strengthening Democracy?

The Trajectory

Is There a Path to Gun Reform Without Strengthening Democracy?

For Senator Raphael Warnock, voting rights protections and gun reform “are part and parcel of the same project.”

Chip Brownlee
Homicides in Philadelphia Are Trending Downward. Will It Last?

Philadelphia

Homicides in Philadelphia Are Trending Downward. Will It Last?

City officials argue that to keep killings on the decline, the Republican-led state Senate needs to pass stronger gun laws.

Mensah M. Dean
What’s Next for Florida’s Raise-the-Age Law?

Bulletin

What’s Next for Florida’s Raise-the-Age Law?

A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit upheld the law just months ago. Now, the NRA will get another chance to argue that it should be struck down — this time before the full court.

Sunny Sone
Biden’s Enhanced Background Checks Appear to Be Working

The Trajectory

Biden’s Enhanced Background Checks Appear to Be Working

New FBI data obtained by The Trace shows the system has stopped hundreds of young adults who shouldn’t have guns from buying them.

Chip Brownlee
Is Massachusetts’ Gun Reform Bill Worth the Controversy It’s Generating?

Bulletin

Is Massachusetts’ Gun Reform Bill Worth the Controversy It’s Generating?

Though the state has a reputation as a leader in gun safety laws, its record shows that it has trouble with enforcement.

Sunny Sone

The only newsroom dedicated to covering gun violence.

Gun Policy

How 30 Years of Federal Background Checks Changed Gun Buying, by the Numbers

I’ve Told Hundreds of Stories About Gun Violence. It’s Time to Tell My Own.

Will Maine’s Permissive Gun Laws Change After the Lewiston Shooting?

The Evolution of the Crime Gun

Illinois Legislators Introduce Karina’s Bill to Remove Guns from Abusers

New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Fell Short. What Could Work?

New Mexico’s Gun Carry Ban Isn’t a Longterm Solution. Here’s Why.

Inside a State Legislator’s Fight Against the Gun Industry’s Legal Immunity

Research Indicates That Red Flag Laws Work — But Only If People Know About Them

The Subversion of Domestic Terror Laws at Cop City

Is There a Path to Gun Reform Without Strengthening Democracy?

Homicides in Philadelphia Are Trending Downward. Will It Last?

What’s Next for Florida’s Raise-the-Age Law?

Biden’s Enhanced Background Checks Appear to Be Working

Is Massachusetts’ Gun Reform Bill Worth the Controversy It’s Generating?