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A Georgia police department used an image of an armed Black man as a target during a gun safety class for members of the public, and posted pictures of the training on Facebook. The department is under investigation for the incident. [NBC]
Context: Last year, The Trace reported on a now-defunct government contract with a company that provided law enforcement agencies with rubber shooting targets that resemble Black men.
From Our Team
Last week, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, of Michigan, reintroduced legislation to grant the Consumer Product Safety Commission oversight of firearms. The bill would empower the agency to investigate allegedly defective guns and force recalls. In the news release, Dingell cited an April investigation of the SIG Sauer P320 pistol from The Trace and The Washington Post. The story revealed claims from more than 100 people that their pistols fired on them when they hadn’t pulled the trigger, resulting in at least 80 injuries.
No regulatory body has the power to investigate allegations that a gun is defective or to keep data on injuries caused by malfunctions — and because of the lack of safety regulation, victims have been left without recourse beyond costly litigation. This is the fourth consecutive Congress in which Dingell has introduced her bill.
What to Know Today
The U.S. Senate voted down a GOP-backed bill that would have rolled back the ATF’s new pistol brace regulations. President Joe Biden had already threatened to veto the measure. [Roll Call] Context: The rule requires owners of the devices to either remove and destroy the accessories, or register the braced firearms with the ATF as short-barreled rifles.
Why do some Americans buy guns? Social scientists are beginning to understand the motivations behind firearm purchases, and how owning a gun can change behavior. [The New York Times]
A joint report from ADL and GLAAD provides hard evidence that anti-LGBTQ+ hate is on the rise, charting 356 incidents ranging from harassment to mass shootings between June 2022 and April 2023. [Rolling Stone/ADL and GLAAD]
Three San Antonio police officers were charged with murder after shooting and killing a woman in her apartment while she was apparently experiencing a mental health crisis. [The Guardian]
Juneteenth was the deadliest day of gun violence in New York City so far this year. Shootings overall have been trending downward in the city. [Gothamist]
D.C. police created a reward program that offers $1,000 for tips on illegal gun possession that result in an arrest. Tipsters can receive up to $5,000 if the information leads to ghost guns or weapons that have an automatic loading device. [The Washington Post]
Archive
The Death of Daniel Prude and the Birth of a Thousand Lies: 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. (November 2022)
