Friday Finds

Our weekly roundup of the latest gun violence prevention news

Mar 21, 2025

man holding phone in with laptop beside cup — Photo by Muhammad Raufan Yusup on Unsplash

On Fridays here at Armed With Reason, we highlight articles from the gun violence prevention realm that might’ve been missed during your busy week.

STUDY: Firearms Rarely Used For Protection Against Crime

“An overwhelming majority of gun owners — 92% — say they’ve never used their weapons to defend themselves, according to findings published March 14 in JAMA Network Open.”

“Adults with firearm access are far more likely to be exposed to gun violence than they are to defend themselves with their firearms…. It’s not that defensive gun use never happens, but the notion that firearm owners are routinely saving their own lives or those of their loved ones by using a firearm in self-defense simply is not backed up by the data.”

HHS appears to delete Surgeon General gun violence advisory webpage

“In a statement to ABC News, the HHS said that the department ‘and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights.’”

Trump Administration Prepares to Give Gun Rights Back to Some Convicts

“After Justice Department officials sought to allow Mel Gibson to own a gun again, the administration is proposing a path for some people to have their firearms access restored.”

New Federal Spending Law Could Cut Gun Violence Research Funds

“Most at risk is the $25 million Congress has steered toward gun violence research every year since 2019. Split equally between the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the funding has not been written into budget bills themselves.”

Democrats ask Trump to remove Patel as acting ATF director

“The Democrats noted that during Trump’s first term, gun homicide rates rose by 34 percent. Since the Biden-era Safer Communities Act passed in a bipartisan manner in 2022, there has been a ‘historic reduction’ in gun violence….”

Over 1 in 3 Adults in Households With Guns Do Not Store All in Locked Locations

“One can disagree about the advisability of having guns at home…. But since secure storage minimizes inadvertent use, child access, and gun theft, we all should consider it part of responsible gun ownership.”

Full 11th Circuit upholds Florida age limit for gun buys, rejecting NRA challenge

“From the founding to the late-nineteenth century, our law limited the purchase of firearms by minors in different ways. The Florida law also limits the purchase of firearms by minors. And it does so for the same reason: to stop immature and impulsive individuals, like Nikolas Cruz, from harming themselves and others with deadly weapons.”