The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in America’s gun violence problem.
Looking back at the stories we told, and which stuck with us, during an eventful year.
The role of the gun industry in America’s gun violence epidemic.
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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Features
In the spring of 2020, Rochester, New York, was poised for genuine police reform. Then came a 911 call for a Black man in crisis.
Community Violence
After the funerals, residents continue to pressure Texas officials to address gun access. It may become a fight that spans generations.
Longform
Black women are arming themselves — and pushing against stereotypes of who owns firearms.
Criminal Justice
Hamid Abd-Al-Jabbar and David Thompson bonded in juvenile detention in the 1980s, then spent most of the next 40 years in prison. When they emerged from one of the country’s most unforgiving state penal systems, their friendship proved crucial.
Off Target
In a sweeping investigation, The Trace and USA TODAY found the federal agency charged with policing the gun industry let dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
“There are things that might happen despite your best efforts, despite doing everything you can.”
Domestic Violence
Rosemarie Reilly knew her ex might hurt her. But when she sought a restraining order, a judge allowed him to keep his guns.
Armslist is one of the easiest ways to buy a gun online — especially if you’re not supposed to have one.
Active Shooting
The ALICE Training Institute was an early proponent of having teachers and students confront gunmen. There’s little evidence its approach works.
Shot and Forgotten
Isolated by their gunshot injuries, members of a resilient New York City artists’ collective are forging new identities through poetry, music, and design.
Las Vegas's death investigators witnessed the atrocities of the Route 91 shooting, then had to grapple with the difficult task of healing themselves.
New Mexico has a particularly high rate of youth suicide. Aurra Gardner was a distressed 16-year-old, and she knew where to find a gun.
Free to Shoot Again
A shocking number of shootings go unsolved. In some police departments, hundreds of cases aren't investigated at all. A joint investigation by The Trace and BuzzFeed News.
Roger Stringer testified against his son Zac in the fatal shooting that killed his younger child. Now he believes Remington’s defective rifle is to blame, and he’s fighting to hold the gun maker accountable.
How We Fix This
In Philadelphia, police often race shooting victims to the hospital rather than wait for paramedics. Experts in trauma and policing say more cities should consider it.
