In the late 2010s, before Congress began allocating money for gun violence research, a handful of states began a push to fund studies that the federal government wouldn’t, reflecting a growing willingness among legislators to invest in a better understanding of the issue. One of the hubs established during that period was the New Jersey Center for Gun Violence Research, which has since produced nationally relevant studies, funded outside research, and worked to help community violence intervention programs better disrupt shootings.
That, however, was a different Trump era. Now, after a few years of funding for gun violence research, the Trump administration has effectively decided to dissolve social safety spending, and with it efforts to understand and prevent gun violence in the United States. At the CDC, layoffs have decimated staff responsible for gun violence research and prevention; this week, a preliminary memo obtained by news outlets proposed eliminating programs on gun violence, injury prevention, and youth violence prevention altogether. The Trace’s Chip Brownlee reported on a downstream development: Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat, has proposed slashing a third of the budget for the New Jersey Center for Gun Violence Research — a cut that would devastate its operations, officials said — in anticipation of reduced federal support and economic uncertainty.
In the clearest terms, these cuts mean that we will know less about the breadth of America’s gun violence crisis and how to effectively counter it. But what do you call a fight against violence prevention? What do you call a fight against our understanding of America’s shooting crisis?
On Thursday, at least two people were killed and several others injured in a shooting on Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus, allegedly by the 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy who had access to his parent’s gun. Students, survivors of the 2018 Parkland massacre among them, described sheltering in place and running from gunshots; some called for policies to prevent such attacks in the future.
President Donald Trump’s initial response was that the shooting was a “horrible thing.” “Horrible that things like this take place, and we’ll have more to say about it later.”
From The Trace
Trump’s War on Law Firms May Imperil Gun Suits: After the president sought to punish Paul Weiss, references to its pioneering work on firearms disappeared from the law firm’s website. Gun safety advocates fear a retreat.
Major Gun Violence Research Center Threatened by Proposed Cuts: Governor Phil Murphy’s move to slash a New Jersey research hub comes as the state braces for leaner budgets under the Trump administration.
New Research Links Gun Violence Exposure to Higher Rates of Depression and Suicidal Ideation: A nationally representative study deepens what we know about the intersection of mental health, gun violence, and support services.
After a Mass Shooting Shattered Their Peace, Survivors Find Trauma — and Closure — in Court: A three-year quest for justice has given survivors of the Highland Park shooting a deeper understanding of the judicial process and how hard it can be on grieving families.
What We’re Reading
My Dad’s Death and the Forgotten Half of America’s Gun Crisis: “Roughly a third of Americans own guns. I can’t help but wonder: If my dad wasn’t part of that group, could his hope have been restored in those ten minutes?” [TIME]
What Big Oil learned from the gun industry: Oil companies are seeking a liability shield. The gun lobby already has one — and it’s a nightmare for gun violence survivors and their families. [ExxonKnews]
Trump Snubs NRA Convention: For the first time since 2015, President Donald Trump won’t be speaking at the National Rifle Association’s Annual Meeting. [The Reload]
A Call for Comfort Brought the Police Instead. Now the Solution Is in Danger: Mental health advocates say recent federal funding and staffing cuts undermine the future of the 988 program and threaten to erase progress made in Indiana and elsewhere. [KFF Health News]
Can D.C. Keep Its Local Power? Residents Stand Up Against Federal Takeover: Many claims about crime in the district, municipal governance experts argue, ignore how D.C.’s complex criminal legal system — a result of its lack of real autonomy — can impede efforts to prevent violence. [Capital B]
String of law enforcement suicides rattles first responders and exposes gaps in state support: Four people tied to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office died by suicide recently, calling attention to ongoing mental health struggles among law enforcement. [The Texas Tribune]
In Memoriam
John Flemister, 61, was just a great guy, really. A doorman at a few residential buildings in Chicago’s West Loop, Flemister “didn’t seem to have a bad bone in his body,” a resident said; his niece told the Chicago Sun-Times that he was “the sweetest man to walk this earth.” He was shot and killed last weekend. Flemister didn’t have any children of his own, but to the city’s Bronzeville community, he was a father: He helped raise his sister’s and niece’s kids there, and cared for other young people in the neighborhood, too. Family members and residents remembered his kindness. “If you run into John, you could not have a bad day,” a resident said. He talked with people about their troubles, kept dog treats behind his desk at work, and went above and beyond to help others. His door, friends and loved ones said, was always open.
Spotlight on Solutions
For young Americans, video games are a part of daily life: 85 percent of U.S. teens report playing video games, and 41 percent say they play them at least once a day. Gamers as a whole spend an average of 12 hours a week playing video games, many of them “shooter” games like Fortnite. But outside the virtual battlefield, real-world firearms are tied to significant dangers. That led a gun violence prevention organization to wonder: What if a strategy to promote gun safety for children and teens could be structured around gaming?
The result is Leave Guns in the Game, a new initiative from Project Unloaded. For the campaign, the group is teaming up with Gen Z gaming content creators to deliver a message: In real life, guns don’t make you safer. They put you at greater risk of harm. By partnering with popular TikTokers, YouTubers, and Twitch streamers, Leave Guns in the Game hopes to reach millions of young gamers with the facts about the dangers firearms pose — using the same platforms where they already spend their time. Reporters Fairriona Magee and Chip Brownlee have more in the latest edition of The Trajectory, The Trace’s solutions-focused newsletter.
Pull Quote
“This study is vital to be able to talk about what gun violence does to the mental health of America as a whole, and what it means for our collective well-being.”
— Daniel Semenza, director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, on a new study led by scholars at the center showing that exposure to gun violence is linked to higher rates of depression and suicidal ideation, to The Trace
