Every generation is shaped by the major events of its time. For baby boomers, there was the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War; Gen X saw the Reagan era and the end of the cold war; millennials had the iPhone and the 2008 financial crisis. Gen Z, or people born between 1997 and 2012, has grown up in an exceedingly eventful historical moment. And for them, there’s arguably another factor at play: the proliferation of guns in the United States.
For the latest edition of Ask The Trace, reporters Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee dug into a reader question about gun deaths among members of Gen Z. They found not only that guns were the leading cause of death for zoomers in 2023, the most recent year with available data, but also that they’ve been the leading cause since 2017, when the youngest were kindergarten age and the oldest could not yet legally drink alcohol. Gen Z also appears to be the only generation to experience gun violence as the leading cause of death.
Experts pointed to a few reasons why Gen Z could be disproportionately burdened by gun violence. One thing that didn’t make it into the story: Other generations didn’t experience active shooter drills in schools the way Gen Z did. Most millennials, for example, were out of school at the time of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, a before-and-after moment for today’s young adults. For zoomers, the armed era is all they’ve known.
— Assistant engagement editor Victoria Clark and senior editor Sunny Sone
From The Trace
Trump Administration Ends Zero-Tolerance Policy for Lawbreaking Gun Dealers: The Biden-era policy resulted in a record number of gun dealers losing their licenses to operate.
Domestic Violence Services Are in Jeopardy, Providers Say: The Trump administration’s push to cut federal grants has domestic violence groups considering layoffs, reduced hours, and shelter closures.
Maternal Homicide Is Very Common — Particularly in These States: Experts say these deaths are largely preventable. A new study looks into the connections between policy and outcome.
What to Know Today
The Supreme Court declined to review New York state gun regulations that ban concealed firearms in “sensitive locations” — like churches and medical facilities — and require gun owners seeking a concealed carry license to show good moral character. New York implemented the regulations after the high court struck down parts of the state’s concealed carry law in its 2022 Bruen decision. Justices have repeatedly refused to consider challenges to the updated restrictions. [Courthouse News Service]
Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, whose office oversees the District of Columbia, recently boasted that his “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative — his plan to crack down on gun violence in the nation’s capital by pursuing federal gun possession charges against people with criminal convictions — has 18 cases. All 18 accused are Black men, and none were charged with violent crimes alongside the gun charges, sparking concerns that the city will target enforcement at racial minorities, even as violent crime there declines. [The Washington Post]
The FBI is calling for agents to voluntarily leave their jobs to temporarily serve as bodyguards for Deputy Director Dan Bongino, the former pro-Trump podcaster and onetime television personality for NRATV, a short-lived and little-watched streaming network once billed as “the voice of the NRA.” The request appears to run counter to Director Kash Patel’s priority to return agents to the field. [NBC]
Robert Panton, a 59-year-old community activist in Harlem, New York, came to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident from Jamaica when he was 4 years old. He survived a shooting in 1991; spent decades incarcerated on a drug charge; and, since leaving prison in 2020, has mentored young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system. Last month, he became one of many immigrants who have been detained during routine ICE check-ins. [Gothamist]
The community project Hearing Philadelphia is amplifying the voices of gun violence victims and their surviving family members through a unique combination of music and storytelling. The Hearing Philadelphia ensemble — made up of percussionists, vocalists, string players, wind players, and brass players — recently performed at City Hall, offering a public space to honor loved ones’ memories. [WHYY]
More than two years ago, Diamond Jones was notified that she and her family had 10 days to move out of their rental home in Richton Park, Illinois, on accusations that she had violated the suburban Chicago village’s “crime-free” ordinance. Jones hadn’t been charged with a crime — rather, the family had been penalized for calling 911 to report shootings and threats. Jones successfully challenged the ordinance, and now, new legislation seeks to bar municipalities statewide from penalizing renters from calling 911 for help. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Data Point
11,368 — the number of zoomers who died by firearms in 2023. [CDC Wonder]
Non Sequitur
Florida swamps Houston, winning 3rd NCAA men’s basketball national championship
The University of Florida Gators won their third NCAA men’s championship against Houston. [NPR]
