Never thought I'd be interviewing someone about musical motifs for @thetrace.org, but here we are! Join me in delving into this fascinating new project.

The Trace@thetrace.org · 2mo ago

The new theatrical concept album "Good Gun with a Gun!" pokes fun at the gun lobby and gun reformers. Its creators want to seed a new kind of conversation around firearms.

When Operation Metro Surge came to Minneapolis, it left residents and violence interrupters with residual fear. Organizers even changed their approach and meet-up locations during the “crack down” to avoid agents. Interrupters worry that they’ll fail to regain momentum as hotter weather comes:

'I Was Scared.' Minneapolis Anti-Violence Workers Enter 'Trauma Season' Still Reeling From ICE Shootings.

The call came in on a cold January night. Someone had been shot in North Minneapolis. As they often do after shootings in their area, Connie Rhodes and her team of violence interrupters went to the scene...

thetr.ac

The Firearms Policy Coalition said fundraising off political activist and Parkland survivor David Hogg’s birthday has become a tradition. This year, the FPC told donors to Hogg’s birthday campaign that they could win a shotgun. Hogg, for his part, called the FPC “a bunch of extremist losers.”

The Gun Rights Group Trying to Fundraise Off a Parkland Survivor’s Birthday

The Firearms Policy Coalition told prospective donors they could give David Hogg “the middle finger” by contributing.

thetrace.org

Over the last two years, a murder-suicide or family annihilation has occurred 1.8 times per day on average.

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.

The Bedrooms Left Behind by Children Killed in School Shootings

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

thetrace.org

Now that gun violence in Philadelphia is on a sustained downward trajectory, the city is trying to figure out what to do next. So for the first time in its history, the Philadelphia Police Department is developing a five-year strategic plan designed to enhance public safety.

Here’s What Philadelphians Want to See in the City's Plan to Boost Public Safety

A safer city depends on crime prevention and lower gun violence, but also better coordination between stakeholders, residents tell The Trace.

thetrace.org

Important context from @thetrace.org and the Gun Violence Data Hub: An of 150 U.S. Cities Shows One of the Greatest Drops in Gun Violence — Ever www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...

A Trace Analysis of 150 U.S. Cities Shows One of the Greatest Drops in Gun Violence — Ever

A Gun Violence Data Hub analysis of 150 cities paints a mostly consistent picture.

thetrace.org

As Philly officials draft a new plan for making the city safer, @thetrace.org's Mensah M. Dean spoke to residents about their priorities. One theme: Better police relations. "They should say, 'Good morning,' and, 'Good afternoon.' It doesn’t hurt to say that." www.thetrace.org/2025/10/phil...

Here’s What Philadelphians Want to See in the City's Plan to Boost Public Safety

A safer city depends on crime prevention and lower gun violence, but also better coordination between stakeholders, residents tell The Trace.

thetrace.org

Today, we're debuting a new feature on @thetrace.org called 92 Days in Gun Violence. It's a quarterly update. The big finding thru Q3 is that have been fewer shooting deaths in 2025 than any year in a decade. Plus more on gun sales, our work, and recent research: www.thetrace.org/2025/10/shoo...

Gun dealers talk to @champebarton.bsky.social about the drop in demand, what drives sales, and the state of the industry. Some dealers are seeing folks who bought during the pandemic sales surge now seeking to sell their guns. www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...

Gun Stores Are Struggling Under Trump

Dealers say the president’s gun-friendly policies have actually hurt their sales. “People have a tendency to want what they feel is under threat," one said.

thetrace.org

"The attack was at least the 20th high-profile shooting at a house of worship in the United States over the past two decades, according to a Trace analysis of data from the Gun Violence Archive and other nonprofits that track such incidents."

Brian Freskos@brianfreskos.bsky.social · last yr.

Sunday's church attack in Michigan was at least the 20th high-profile shooting at a U.S. house of worship over the past two decades. Collectively, these shootings left at least 92 dead and 100 wounded.

An estimated 70 percent of people currently detained by ICE have never been convicted of a crime.

Some Immigrants in Chicago Now Fear ICE More Than Gunfire

Donald Trump's deployment of federal agents to cities is based on the disproven claim that immigrants commit a disproportionate number of violent crimes.

thetrace.org

Investigators believe there may be additional victims of Sunday's shooting and fire at a Latter-day Saint church in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. So far, at least four people have been confirmed as dead and either others were wounded.

Michigan Church Shooting and Fire: What We Know

At least four people were killed after an attacker opened fire at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint building and intentionally set fire to the structure.

nytimes.com

In the past two years, several shooters have attempted long-range assaults on politicians and government workers. Unlike many forms of public gun violence, these sorts of attacks evade most security measures, which makes preventing them exceedingly difficult.

The Dallas ICE Shooting Underscores How Hard It Is to Stop Sniper Attacks, Experts Say

“There really is not anything you can do to secure a public place 100 percent,” said Caylen Wojcik, a former Marine sniper.

thetrace.org

We've covered this some at @thetrace.org, but Lydia Polgreen goes further here, showing how the rush to blame trans people for high-profile shootings exemplifies a broader mindset. (Trace story by @jenmascia.bsky.social) www.thetrace.org/2025/07/mass...

Why Does the Right Falsely Blame Trans People for Mass Shootings?

Misinformation circulating after last month’s attack on Minnesota state lawmakers underscores a calculated campaign to demonize the trans community.

thetrace.org

Lydia Polgreen@polgreen.bsky.social · last yr.

I wrote about what the desperate attempt to find a trans connection to the Charlie Kirk assassination tells us about the deep psychological impulses at work in Trumpism. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/o...

Important, sobering story on something we rarely talk about from @amendelson.bsky.social @thetrace.org @gqmagazine.bsky.social. From our analysis: -Americans 70+ had the highest suicide rates -Gun suicides kill more men 70+ than car crashes -From 2009-23, 63,836 older Americans died by gun suicide

Aaron Mendelson@amendelson.bsky.social · last yr.

Older Americans have the highest rates of gun suicide of any age group. Not by a little — by a lot. Why? I spent months exploring this question through data, field reporting, and interviews with experts. Our story is up today on @thetrace.org www.thetrace.org/2025/09/gun-...

“They are taking innocent people and it’s affecting the community,” Raquel said. “You can’t even be at peace in your own home.” Important story from Rita Oceguera in @thetrace.org @chicagoreader.com

The Trace@thetrace.org · last yr.

Donald Trump's deployment of federal agents to cities is based on the disproven claim that immigrants commit a disproportionate number of violent crimes.

"The shooting that claimed Kirk’s life did not happen in a vacuum. It follows a string of politically motivated attacks in the past two years: the attempted assassination of.. Donald Trump; the assassination of former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband," and the CDC.

Chip Brownlee@bychipbrownlee.com · last yr.

There's a lot of speculation about the motive of the man who killed Charlie Kirk. Regardless of what we learn, this assassination is an accelerant on an already burning fire. "The question is how high it’s gonna burn and how much destruction it’s gonna do," @jeffsharlet.bsky.social tells me.

Rita Oceguera keeps a spotlight on disinfo for @thetrace.org www.thetrace.org/2025/09/chic...

Trump Says Chicago Is Crime-Ridden. But Shootings Are Down 50 Percent Since His First Term.

Chicagoans interviewed by The Trace say they’ve been feeling safer in their neighborhoods — and do not want intervention from ICE or the National Guard.

thetrace.org

From a prescient 2024 opinion piece in @thetrace.org : "To counter the ideology that drives political violence, we must refrain from normalizing the permission structure that condones it. ... Political leaders bear a significant responsibility." www.thetrace.org/2024/08/trum...

A Call to Protect Democracy From Political Violence

Experts at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions consider what led to the current climate — and how we can change it.

thetrace.org

Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot today at an event in Utah while on his “American Comeback” tour. He reportedly was being fact-checked at his “Prove Me Wrong” table about the trans mass shooter myth when he was shot.

Charlie Kirk Shot During Utah Valley University Event: Live Updates

Mr. Kirk, a close ally of President Trump, was shot in the neck while speaking in front of a large crowd on a university campus.

nytimes.com

Philly gets yet another resource for keeping its streets clean. It's part of the city's effort to continue reducing violent crime.

The Trace@thetrace.org · last yr.

Cleaner neighborhoods and green spaces point to a decline in crime. Could it help Philadelphia?

@jenmascia.bsky.social found there were at least 22 swatting hoaxes at American colleges just between the last week of August and early September. "Most of the calls involved an armed person in the library. Some featured gunshots in the background." www.thetrace.org/2025/09/swat... #tellewa

More Than 20 Active Shooting Hoaxes Have Locked Down Colleges Over the Past Two Weeks

Experts said swatting incidents can traumatize students and first responders.

thetrace.org

"The NSSF study, then, raises a key question: Why have Republican lawmakers largely stood against more significant reforms, let alone any reform at all? As the study indicates, many people with a favorable view of gun ownership appear open to going further than ... lawmakers."

@mikespies.bsky.social · last yr.

As people once again think about gun reforms in the wake of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting, I hope you’ll read my latest story, which is based on gun industry documents and pubbed in partnership with @thetrace.org and @rollingstone.com www.thetrace.org/2025/08/gun-...

Some helpful historical context from my colleagues @jenmascia.bsky.social and @bychipbrownlee.com on how we got here www.thetrace.org/2024/04/colu...

The Armed Era

You drop your child off at kindergarten where they learn how to hide from an active shooter. You spot a rifle-strapped shopper in the cereal aisle at the supermarket. You stuff your belongings in a cl...

thetrace.org

We have updated the Gun Violence Data Hub's page featuring data on mass shootings. This data comes from the Gun Violence Archive, and uses their definition of "a minimum of four victims shot." You can find more information and download the data at this link datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/mass...

Mass Shootings

Data on mass shootings in the United States, from the Gun Violence Archive.

datahub.thetrace.org

If you don't think "thoughts and prayers" suffice at this moment, you may want to read about what the gun industry knows about firearms laws, by @mikespies.bsky.social www.thetrace.org/2025/07/gun-...

Concealed Handguns Create a Climate of Fear, the Gun Industry’s Own Research Reveals

The gun industry is pushing Congress to loosen restrictions on carrying, even though routine carrying makes even its customers feel less safe.

thetrace.org

@mikespies.bsky.social · last yr.

In light of today’s shooting in Minnesota, here’s a relevant bit from the gun industry’s own research, which I obtained earlier this summer

From a @thetrace.org Q&A with a Yale policing expert: "If we were talking about a city and a state, the National Guard wouldn’t be able to exercise general police powers like making arrests or investigating crimes. Washington poses a very different issue." www.thetrace.org/2025/08/trum...

Legal Constraints Could Stymie Trump’s Plans to Police Other Cities

We spoke with a policing expert from Yale Law School about whether a federal takeover could come to New York or Chicago.

thetrace.org