What To Know Today
NEW from THE TRACE: Young people dream up a safer summer in Chicago. Recently, Mayor Lori Lightfoot controversially updated the city’s curfew policies to restrict youth public gatherings as a means of violence prevention. But what do young people think? We polled several residents in neighborhoods most affected by gun violence about what would make them feel safer. Some offered suggestions for the big changes they’d need to better navigate this crisis, including curbing accessibility to guns. They also pointed to less-obvious solutions, like expanding public transit. Justin Agrelo has that story — his first for The Trace.
California DOJ leak exposes gun owners’ private information. The Monday launch of the California Department of Justice’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal included downloadable information about residents with concealed carry weapons permits. The data, which was later removed, included details like name, race, address, date of birth, and the type of permit issued, which indicated if a holder was a police officer or judge, The Reload reported. “We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard,” read a statement from the office of Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.” The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said it was informed of the leak on Tuesday by the California State Sheriffs’ Association. Bonta’s office “plans to contact CCW holders directly to advise them of the breach and will institute a program to reduce any harm or damages to CCW holders that resulted,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.
Ex-White House aide: Trump knew crowd was armed ahead of Capitol insurrection. The revelation was one of several allegations in congressional testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows, Trump’s last White House chief of staff. “I don’t f-ing care that they have weapons,” she testified that Trump said as he demanded that security checkpoints be removed outside his rally near the White House that occurred before the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. “They’re not here to hurt me. … Let my people in. They can march to the Capitol from here.” As we reported, at least 13 people have been charged with illegal gun possession stemming from the U.S. Capitol insurrection. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have accused far-right Oath Keepers charged in the insurrection of planning a quick reaction force to ferry guns into the city.
Texas to spend $105.5M on boosting school safety and mental health services after Uvalde. The top two biggest outlays from the funding are $50 million to build a bullet-resistant shield for school police officers and $17.1 million for school districts to buy silent panic alert technology. The mental health assistance includes $5.8 million to expand telemedicine for young people and $4.7 million to treat at-risk youth. Almost all of the money comes out of funds from the Texas Education Agency, which oversees K-12 public education. The funding will support initiatives through August 2023.
New Jersey signals shift in concealed carry after Bruen decision invalidated similar New York law. Acting state AG Matthew J. Platkin released guidance saying that the Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen “prevents us from continuing to require a demonstration of justifiable need in order to carry a firearm, but it does not prevent us from enforcing the other requirements in our law.” The SCOTUS decision likewise imperils at least four other “may-issue” states that give officials discretion in issuing concealed carry permits.
Data Point
55 percent — the rise in shooting victims so far this year in Los Angeles compared to the same period in 2020. America’s second-largest city has also seen homicides rise 5.5 percent through the first half of 2022 compared to last year — and by 35 percent compared to the first half of 2020. [Bloomberg]
