The Trace

A legacy of pollution has shaped a tragic disparity in Jacksonville, which has three of the 10 worst ZIP codes associated with child firearm injury rates in Florida, according to a new analysis by @kffhealthnews.org and The Trace. thetr.ac/EpY33

In the upcoming midterm election, political pundits in Pennsylvania believe Democrats have their best chance in decades to gain control of the Legislature and the governor’s office. The win could lead to more gun reform bills, which Republicans have long blocked.

Shootings at or near HBCUs are forcing yet another confrontation with systemic inequities. On campuses like Tuskegee, students grapple with a loss of safety, and with the well-being of institutions historically created to protect them.

American kids and teens who suffer the highest rates of gun violence are competing for access to the dwindling violence prevention programs designed to reach them, thanks in part to funding cuts from the Trump administration. Memphis is a ground zero.

Shootings at or near HBCUs are forcing yet another confrontation with systemic inequities. On campuses like Tuskegee, students grapple with a loss of safety, and with the well-being of institutions historically created to protect them.

New research by Climate Central, a nonprofit focused on climate change research and communication, found that approximately 2,000 shootings between 2021 and 2025 in the 100 U.S. cities with the most gun violence are attributable to high temperatures made more likely by climate change.

Pennsylvania Democrats have a chance to win a governing trifecta. Gun safety advocates believe a Democratic takeover will lead to legislative reforms they’ve sought for years. Read more: thetr.ac/5GFnv

Research links secure gun storage to lower risks of suicide and unintentional shootings. Libraries are making safe storage devices more accessible.

In recent years, HBCUs have been disproportionately affected by a tragic facet of the American education system — fatal shootings on or near campuses. The shootings, and the corresponding attention they bring, are fraught for communities around these historic institutions.

In our new Violence Interrupted series, we explore the intricacies of violence intervention with the help of organizers like K. Durrell Cowen, who founded Heal 901, a community violence intervention program in Memphis, Tennessee. See excerpts of our conversation with Cowen here:

Our quarterly analysis from the Gun Violence Data Hub dives into the latest trends. In Q3, the data showed that though shootings are down overall, the number of mass shootings has increased in 2026. See our full analysis here:

The Justice Department opened an investigation into whether wait times for concealed carry permits in two Connecticut cities — Middletown and Waterbury — are unconstitutional. It's the latest move in the DOJ's effort to loosen gun restrictions. thetr.ac/bQMHi

A chance volunteer opportunity changed things for Nickeem Higgins, who redirects kids away from a violent path through mentorship.

Next month’s midterm elections could hand Democrats control of Pennsylvania’s government for the first time in three decades, opening the door to gun reform bills that Republicans have long blocked.

HBCUs have long served as safe spaces both for students and community members. In recent years, though, they have been disproportionately affected by a tragic facet of the American education system — fatal shootings on or near campuses.

After the loss of her fiancé, Ty, Aaliyah Strong Bailey founded a nonprofit in Atlanta to help others in grief. She says Tyme to Thrive gives survivors of gun violence resources in the aftermath of a sudden loss. We spoke to Strong Bailey about how to show up for devastated families.

Research confirms that when temperatures rise, gun violence increases. What was previously unknown, was the effect climate change has on gun violence. A new study by Climate Central links climate change to an increase in gun violence. Read more: thetr.ac/0edNF

Tracker update: On October 19, ICE agents arrested Milton Ramos-Rodriguez, 51, at gunpoint on a street in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood. It marked at least the 50th incident in which an immigration agent held bystanders, protesters, or other people at gunpoint under questionable circumstances.

Shootings at or near HBCUs are forcing yet another confrontation with systemic inequities. On campuses like Tuskegee, students grapple with a loss of safety, and with the well-being of institutions historically created to protect them.

In the Q3 edition of 92 Days In Gun Violence, we tracked gun violence trends in real time. Shootings are down across the U.S., but gun sales are up for the first time in six years. Here’s more of what The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub found: thetr.ac/7N5yT

In 2018, K. Durrell Cowan started Heal 901, a Memphis-based violence intervention program because children in his community need help coping with violence. Eight years into prevention work, he says that “America is burning,”. He spoke to us about taming the fire in our Violence Interrupted series.

In the upcoming midterm election, political pundits in Pennsylvania believe Democrats have their best chance in decades to gain control of the Legislature and the governor’s office. The win could lead to more gun reform bills, which Republicans have long blocked.

It's official: silencers, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns are no longer required to be registered with the federal government, according to new ATF guidance. The change comes after a district court struck down the requirement because Congress eliminated the $200 fee

Across the U.S., 9,790 people were killed and 18,199 were injured in shootings through three quarters — numbers that represent huge declines from recent years. This + more in our latest @thetrace.org review of gun violence data www.thetrace.org/2026/10/by-t...

In recent years, climate change has led to higher temperatures. But how has it affected gun violence? A new study by Climate Central found that approximately 2,000 shootings between 2021 and 2025 in the 100 U.S. cities with the most gun violence are attributable to high temperatures.

In the third quarter of 2026 there was a massive decline in shootings, along with a modest rise in gun sales. There was also a new focus on community violence intervention, a wave of journalism about shootings near schools, and academic research into guns and protests. Look at the data here:

For Alexx Brent, a community public safety specialist at Heal 901 in Memphis, stopping gun violence requires intervening before someone gets shot, or becomes a shooter. We spoke to him for our Violence Interrupted series to show the realities of violence prevention in the wake of funding cuts.

The Silver Rail Elementary School shooting in Oregon is a reminder that even tough gun restrictions can’t prevent every act of gun violence.

Previous references to defensive gun use statistics on the CDC’s website were removed during the Biden administration. The statistics returned to the CDC’s site last month, upholding the long promoted idea that a “good guy with a gun” is the only thing stopping a “bad guy with a gun.”

The Trump administration recently allowed for the sale of silencers and short-barreled rifles and shotguns without federal authorization. But that doesn’t mean someone can walk into a gun shop in all 50 states and buy a silencer. Here’s what we know about this momentous shift.

Alexx Brent is a community public safety specialist for the Memphis-based organization Heal 901. For him, preventing violence means understanding what can push kids and teens toward it. We spoke to Brent for our Violence Interrupted series to explore the realities of intervention amid funding cuts.

The Trump administration touted 34 proposed gun rules as a win for the gun industry. The response was more complicated. We analyzed over 38,000 public comments on the proposals. See our main takeaways here:

K. Durrell Cowan believes in the African proverb: if children don't feel the love of their village, they will burn it down to feel the warmth. And so he founded his Memphis nonprofit to help kids cope.

While research has shown that states with the loosest gun laws and highest rates of gun ownership have the highest rates of gun deaths, high-profile incidents like the tragedy in Bend still happen all over the country. Read more: thetr.ac/TKWOR

A teacher and three children, ages 5, 8, and 11, were fatally shot at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday. Another child and a teacher were hospitalized with critical injuries. According to the Gun Violence Archive, gun violence has killed 185 children under age 12 in 2026.

Alexx Brent spends his days preventing violence on the ground in Memphis, Tennessee. In his own words, this is how he does it. See more: thetr.ac/SD8BH

On October 9, the Trump administration officially suspended major portions of the 1934 National Firearms Act to allow for the sale of silencers, and short-barreled rifles and shotguns without federal authorization. The change marks an end to 90 years of regulation under the law.

Residents of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Douglas, Georgia, are reeling after experiencing mass shootings that were also murder-suicides and domestic homicides. The tragedies highlight a harsh reality: murder-suicide doesn’t get as much attention as mass shootings, though it happens more frequently.

Americans bought an estimated 1.23 million guns in September 2026, according to an analysis of FBI data. thetr.ac/7FSYs

New research adds to a growing body of work illustrating the effect of gun violence on overall physical health. thetr.ac/kd6n5

A look inside the homegrown ecosystem that works to keep Memphis safe.

A Trace analysis of nearly 38,000 public comments found significant opposition to some of the Trump administration’s key gun proposals, including a measure that would dramatically expand online sales. thetr.ac/YtpDF

Murder-suicide doesn’t get as much attention as mass shootings, even though it happens more frequently. Most of these incidents involve domestic violence. And nearly all of them are perpetrated with guns. thetr.ac/gmEPa

In September, claims that Americans use guns defensively an estimated 60,000 to 2.5 million times a year were put on the CDC’s site. Later that month, that number changed to 500,000. John Lott, an economist and gun researcher, first reported the update. Experts have now debunked his conclusions.

As the National Guard prowls city streets and federal funding for violence interruption dries up, a small but mighty team in Memphis works to stop teen gun violence before it happens.