Friday Finds
Our weekly roundup of the latest gun violence prevention news
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.
COVID-19’s Impact on Gun Violence in America
“Five years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there are several theories surrounding why gun violence spiked in the United States during the pandemic’s first year.”
Gun Deaths in the U.S.: A Deep Dive Into the 2023 Data
“Despite a decrease in gun deaths for the second consecutive year, the numbers remain alarmingly high and continue to rank among the worst in history.”
One in 15 Americans has witnessed a mass shooting – study
“The study found that about 7% of US adults have been present at the scene of a mass shooting in their lifetime, and more than 2% have been injured during one, according to new a report from the University of Colorado Boulder.”
Related: Study: 1 in 15 US adults has experienced a mass shooting firsthand
GVP Wins:
Oregon appeals court says voter-approved gun law is constitutional, reversing lower court ruling
“The law, one of the toughest in the nation, requires people to undergo a criminal background check and complete a gun safety training course in order to obtain a permit to buy a firearm. It also bans high-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds.”
February Gun Sales Plunge, Outlook Weak, [Smith & Wesson] Says
“Among other gun makers, Sturm Ruger (RGR) is up 12% year to date.… Chemicals and ammunition maker Olin (OLN) is down 40% since the end of October.”
VIDEO: Chuck's Gun Shop in Riverdale closes after years of controversy
“The University of Chicago Crime Lab found in 2014 that more than 1,500 recovered guns traced to city crimes in the previous five years were from Chuck's.”
Trump Administration Moves:
GOP Budget Could Divert Millions From Gun Violence Prevention, Democrats Say
“‘They think it’s a waste of money and time,’ Representative Robin Kelly, a Democrat from Illinois, said about her Republican colleagues. ‘I do not believe life-saving policies are a waste.’”
VIDEO: Deadline quietly passes for AG to recommend killing gun control policies
“The president instructed Bondi to ‘examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies’ and determine if any of them violate the Second Amendment.”
VIDEO: Hospital gun-violence prevention programs may be caught in federal funding crossfire
“Such programs that take a public health approach to stopping gun violence have had success…. But President Trump's executive orders calling for the review of the Biden administration's gun policies and trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans have created uncertainty around the programs' long-term federal funding.”
Philadelphia Is Experiencing a Historic Drop in Bloodshed. Federal Funding Cuts Threaten That Progress.
“The double punch of the Trump presidency and the end of pandemic relief money leaves a key component of Philly’s success up in the air.”
VIDEO: DOJ official says she was fired after opposing the restoration of Mel Gibson's gun rights
“Gibson, a supporter of President Donald Trump, lost his gun rights after a 2011 domestic violence misdemeanor conviction.”
A call for federally funded pediatric firearm injury prevention research
“A paper published in Pediatrics underscores the critical need for enhanced federal investment in firearm injury prevention research to address the rising rates of fatalities and injuries.”
VIDEO: 'Thank God for TSA': Alabama sees increase in confiscated guns at airports despite nationwide decrease
“Nationwide officers intercepted less than 7,000 guns (6,737) at airports in 2023, which was the first nationwide decrease in firearms detected at airports since the COVID-19 pandemic, but that's not happening in Alabama.”
Philly anti-violence group says a national gun violence ad campaign missed the mark
“Mothers In Charge expressed concern over the Ad Council’s gun violence campaign not reflecting the entire teen population.”
VIDEO: A 13-year-old girl died by suicide. Her mom says she was part of 'the Columbine effect'
“Columbine expert Dave Cullen has addressed the subculture, known as TCC or TeeCeeCee online. In a recent article he wrote for The Atlantic, he said TCC followers are taken in by the myth that the Columbine shooters were misfit teens who took revenge on their bullies.”
Podcast: A Hopeful Conversation to End Gun Violence
“Lofton says that not only are active shooter trainings not effective, they’re actually stressing kids out. He says we need to work on empowering young people and teach them that they have political power.”
SLIDESHOW: SXSW artists band together to end the gun violence epidemic
“Artist for Action hopes South-by music fans will be drawn in by this display of memorial bears. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, more than 60,000 teddy bears were sent to Newtown. Bears that were once a comforting symbol of childhood and hope became memorial bears and shrines to the lives lost to gun violence.”
Photo by Talha Güney; via Pexels.