Ian Rogers, a car repair shop owner and gun rights enthusiast, was convinced he had to save America. In 2020, he initiated a series of domestic terrorism planning sessions. The gun industry’s sales tactics — playing up paranoia and glorifying combat — may have played a role in his radicalization.

Duke Law professor Darrell Miller explains how a strain of Second Amendment advocacy convinced some Americans that they have the right to use violence against political opponents. From 2021:

Gun violence declined again in 2025, hitting some of the lowest levels in a decade, but the scale is still staggering. At least 40,000 people were shot. Gun suicides continued to rise. Over 4,400 children and teens were hit by gunfire. More on the numbers from @bychipbrownlee.com for @thetrace.org

Zohran Mamdani plans to overhaul New York City’s public safety strategy, shifting the focus from policing to prevention. The success of the new mayor’s efforts will hinge, in part, on his ability to navigate a political minefield that stretches far beyond city limits.

Juanita Agnew wanted to keep her son's memory alive after he was shot and killed. So she created an annual walk, launched a foundation that provides resources to teens, and pushed officials to pass a bill in his name.

Update: As of January 5, The Trace has identified 27 incidents in which federal agents shot someone or held them at gunpoint during an immigration enforcement action under Trump’s crackdown. At least three people have been killed and five others have been injured.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has won accolades for trying to raise awareness about suicide, but it uses deceptive numbers to promote its efforts. thetr.ac/C165u

A researcher was able to coax AI to provide pointers for a hypothetical "Nerf ambush" that could easily be translated into instructions for a school mass shooting.

Here are a dozen statistics, both encouraging and concerning, that illuminate gun violence trends in 2025: thetr.ac/1DfFQ

The Civil Rights Division was created to protect the disempowered. Under Trump, it’s working to dismantle gun restrictions.

In 2025, the United States saw some of the lowest levels of gun violence on record, but still more than 105 people were shot each day. Here are a dozen other statistics that illuminate this year’s trends. thetr.ac/1DfFQ

Photographer Lou Bopp spent years documenting the lives of children killed in school shootings. He told The Trace about how his team approached shooting victims’ families, and whether he’ll ever truly be finished with this project. thetr.ac/9hZWg

Since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in shootings, gun violence has been falling. Still, 2025 marked a milestone, with shooting deaths and injuries plummeting to some of their lowest levels on record.

The Trace unearthed industry-funded market research, internal memos, depositions, and raw video footage that has never been seen by the public.

The country’s best-known suicide prevention group teamed up with the gun industry. The effort was good for public relations and raising money, but it never met its goal. thetr.ac/3zlUS

Since 2004, the gun industry has sought to pump large-capacity magazines into the civilian market and normalize their use. Documents show the breadth of the industry’s effort to use LCMs — particularly those holding more than 30 rounds — to turn a profit.

As immigration raids spread fear in Chicago, violence intervention groups are broadening their mission.

A majority of states — 29 as of 2025 — require no license to carry a loaded gun in public, a policy known as permitless carry. But what happens when a resident of one of those states wants to carry their handgun in one of the 21 states that does require a permit?

Shootings at high school sporting events have become a tragic fact of life, with 281 people shot during the last 10 years. These shootings have a lot to tell us about gun violence in America.

Shooting deaths decreased for the fourth consecutive year, from nearly 17,000 in 2024 to less than 14,000 in 2025. Despite the progress, gun violence remains endemic. Learn more about the year’s gun violence trends: thetr.ac/1DfFQ

Lawmakers in Austria made swift, sweeping policy change after the country experienced its deadliest mass shooting since World War II. Here's how they did it.

In the fight to lower the leading cause of death among kids — gun violence — a new Ad Council commercial is aimed at healthcare professionals.

Research has found that fixing up abandoned homes can make a city safer. Philly’s H.O.M.E Plan calls for building and rehabbing 30,000 homes in four years.

2025 was a milestone year for gun violence reduction, with shooting deaths and injuries plummeting to record lows. Still, gun suicides are on the rise. Here are more statistics that illuminate the year’s trends.

Trump’s return to office rattled academia — including gun violence researchers — but insights continued to emerge. thetr.ac/39Ez7

The more ammunition that can fit into a gun’s magazine, the more a person can shoot without interruption. In mass shootings, this makes it harder for people to escape. Newly surfaced records show the breadth of the gun industry’s effort to use high-capacity magazines to turn a profit.

The United States saw some of the lowest levels of gun violence on record, but still more than 105 people were shot each day. Here are a dozen other statistics that illuminate this year’s trends.

After Parkland, the gun industry found that people with “positive feelings” about gun ownership were open to common reform arguments. thetr.ac/vdvls

Juanita Agnew’s son, Jayz, was shot while raking leaves in 2022. He died of his wounds days later. His death led Agnew to create teen support initiatives in hopes to prevent similar tragedies. thetr.ac/7fUmL

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division was created to protect the rights of the politically disempowered. Under the leadership of Harmeet K. Dhillon, a lawyer and MAGA-world star, the division is pivoting to knocking down gun restrictions. thetr.ac/2INnS

The firearms industry is pushing Congress to loosen nationwide restrictions on carrying, even though routine carrying makes even its customers feel less safe. thetr.ac/tapEY

Michigan policymakers have spent the past year building the foundation for a comprehensive approach to gun violence prevention. A new report says the real test is putting the pieces together. thetr.ac/eBfFi

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott was elected during the most violent period in the city’s recorded history. He’d promised to stem the bloodshed — and over the past few years, he’s overseen a remarkable turnaround. But Scott still finds himself wedged inside an ideological fight over public safety.

The gun industry’s sales tactics — playing up paranoia and glorifying combat — may be creating a pipeline of extremists willing to open fire. thetr.ac/JVpxt

Since January, the Trump administration has slashed millions in federal support for community-based violence prevention programs, leaving many scrambling to survive. Anti-violence workers are anything but defeated.

The firearms industry is notoriously opaque. But this year The Trace’s senior staff writer, Mike Spies, obtained internal records that show, in compelling detail, what the industry knows about its customers and what makes them want to buy guns.

Shootings are down, but the programs that helped get them down have been slashed. Get oriented with The Trace’s best stories of the year. thetr.ac/Y5Ie8

Gun deaths have declined across New York City, but remain high in one part of Brooklyn. Residents and community organizations are working together to stem the violence.

Over a 30-year period, the gun industry swamped the American market with at least 717 million high-capacity magazines, devices that have been used in mass-casualty shootings. Newly obtained records show that production and distribution continued during a decade when the devices were banned.

A community gardening program in Milwaukee teaches young people not only about tending to plants, but also about life. If it sounds like a violence intervention program disguised as a garden, that’s because in many ways it is.

Even as the federal government dealt setback after setback, work on preventing shootings and deaths from guns didn’t stop in 2025. The Trace’s Chip Brownlee and Fairriona Magee take stock of the progress. thetr.ac/HF7ej

Photographer Lou Bopp spent years documenting the lives of students who never returned home. His project is the focus of a new Netflix documentary.

The federal government hasn’t made it easier to prevent shootings. Cities and states are picking up the slack. thetr.ac/HF7ej

Trump’s return to office rattled academia, but insights continued to emerge.

In the fight to lower the leading cause of death among kids — shootings — a new Ad Council commercial is aimed at healthcare professionals.

Over a 30-year period — including a decade when the devices were banned — the gun industry produced at least 717 million large-capacity magazines. Some 443 million were rifle magazines that held 30 rounds or more. thetr.ac/4lW1j

Using rhetoric about “law and order,” Wisconsin legislators have long stripped resources from violence prevention and advanced laws that could make shootings more likely.

Research has found that fixing up abandoned homes can make a city safer. Philadelphia's H.O.M.E Plan calls for building and rehabbing 30,000 homes in four years.

“The Secret Files of the Gun Industry” makes clear that what the gun industry really wants to sell Americans is fear. And the more fear it can sell, the more the industry will line its pockets. thetr.ac/gNtBC

The data doesn't support Trump's justification for deploying the National Guard: