Top Story
Amid an alarming rise in threats against public officials, the head of Chicago’s FBI field office is preparing for potential political violence at the Democratic National Convention in August — a historically violent season in the city — and at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, in July. The special agent said there are lessons to be learned from the 2022 mass shooting in Highland Park. [Chicago Sun-Times]
NRA
In the first weeks of the corruption trial against the National Rifle Association and several of its (current and former) top officials, one thing has been made clear: The gun group is no longer in lockstep with longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre, who announced his resignation just days before the trial began.
NRA counsel Sarah Rogers has argued that the gun group itself is the case’s true victim. She’s also taken care to describe LaPierre as a “valuable and visionary leader,” but “not always a meticulous corporate executive” — and emphasized that the NRA is not its longtime leader. The Trace’s Will Van Sant has more on the schism emerging in the corruption trial.
What to Know Today
A Utah state representative introduced legislation to incentivize teachers to carry guns at their schools. Under the proposed Educator-Protector Program, participating teachers would receive some liability protections and $500 reimbursements for installing biometric gun safes in their classrooms. [The Salt Lake Tribune]
If filings are any indication, gun regulations are likely to once again play a major role in Tennessee’s 2024 legislative session. By mid-January, lawmakers had already proposed more than a dozen firearm-related bills, including legislation to allow armed teachers at schools and to create a state gun violence prevention office. [The Tennessean]
High school seniors say they’re weighing state politics as they make decisions on where they’ll attend college. Gun laws rank among their top concerns. [NBC]
Jury selection for the historic trial against Jennifer and James Crumbley — whose son killed four people in the 2022 mass shooting at Oxford High School, using a gun they’d purchased for him — begins today in Pontiac, Michigan. The Crumbley parents are charged with involuntary manslaughter; if convicted, they would be the first parents held responsible for a deadly mass school shooting. [Detroit Free Press]
Over the past year, carjackings have nearly doubled in Washington, D.C., compared with 2022. Food delivery drivers are particularly vulnerable to these crimes, which have sometimes resulted in shootings. [The Washington Post]
To combat gun violence two years ago, New York Governor Kathy Hochul launched information-sharing initiatives between federal, state, and local police as part of a tough-on-crime crackdown. She’s using the same playbook this year in her plan to curb retail theft. [New York Focus]
Data Point
More than 8,000 — the number of threats against lawmakers that the U.S. Capitol Police investigated in 2023. That’s up from the figure reported in 2022, but below the 9,625 cases the agency investigated in 2021, the year of the Capitol insurrection. [NBC]
