On Wednesday, the Department of Justice released the most comprehensive gun tracing report in two decades. We at @bradybuzz have called for this data for years.

Here’s what it tells us about guns + crime in America. (🤓Buckle your seatbelts for a data deep dive.)

🧵 First, there are alarming increases in crime gun traces. Between 2017-21, law enforcement agencies submitted 1,922,577 crime gun trace requests to ATF. That’s over a ⅓ increase. The largest single year increase was 2020-21, when crime gun trace requests rose a shocking 14%.

11 people were killed after a gunman opened fire in #MontereyPark and 7 were killed in #HalfMoonBay.

In this moment of grief and frustration, I’ll explain the whole scope of these recent tragedies and what we can do to prevent them. 🧵 The nation was rocked when CA had to deal with two mass shootings just one day apart from each other.

This tragedy comes days after brand new CDC data crunched by @bradybuzz shows 2021 had the most mass shootings and gun deaths in recorded U.S. history.
bradyunited.org/blog/cdc-data-…

I was horrified when I learned about a 6-year-old who shot their first-grade teacher.

A first grader should never have easy access to a firearm.

This tragedy brings a larger conversation around the efficiency of child access prevention laws and #SafeStorage. Let me explain.🧵 A 6-year-old brought a loaded firearm to his first-grade classroom and shot his teacher Ms. Abby Zwerner. Ms. Zwerner is facing life-threatening injuries, and the children in the class are traumatized.

However, this could have been prevented.
washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/…

The gunman, Ricky Shiffer, who today opened fire on an FBI building in Cincinnati appears to have ties to extremist groups, including one that participated in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

This is Second Amendment extremism at work. And these threats are growing.

🧵I'll explain— Shiffer, who was armed with an AR-15, appeared to post to social media that he was “ready for combat” after the FBI raided Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.
thedailybeast.com/cops-get-into-…

Last month, Congress passed the first gun violence prevention legislation in 30 years and proved that bipartisan solutions are possible.

But the Highland Park tragedy quickly reminded us that we can’t stop there. We have so much more to do if we want to end this crisis.

1/ In order to reduce America's gun violence epidemic and set the stage for generations of progress, we must:

1. Fix our unjust democratic systems
2. Expand the Brady Background Check System
3. Uniquely address and treat the many sources of gun violence bradyunited.org/reports/legisl…

.@TheJusticeDept announced they are investigating the #Buffalo shooting as an act of "racially-motivated violent extremism."

11 of the 13 victims were Black.

This shooting is an unfortunate reminder that domestic terrorism is a very real threat across America. #DisarmHate 🧵 Just last year, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland + Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said the greatest domestic threat facing Americans came from “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.”
nytimes.com/2021/06/15/us/…

A @teamtrace article reveals the NRA has pressured lawmakers to block the collection of critical gun ownership data.

The NRA is clearly aware of what this data will show — more guns equal more violence, and we need gun violence prevention solutions.🧵
thetrace.org/2022/05/nra-la… Without research, it is difficult to develop new solutions or revamp existing solutions to prevent gun violence.

We can only improve these efforts if we have adequate data and research.
bradyunited.org/blog/biden-har…

Today marks 9 years since the Senate failed to pass life-saving gun violence prevention reform because of the filibuster.

Let’s be clear, #TheFilibusterIsKillingUs and we must eliminate it. [Thread 🧵]
washingtonpost.com/news/post-poli… Following the Sandy Hook massacre where 20 children and 6 adults were senselessly killed, Americans continued to demand Congress strengthen America’s weak gun laws.

We all rallied together to urge our leaders to take action.
@NewtownAction @sandyhook

15 years ago, Americans learned about one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country.

32 people were killed and 23 others were injured at #VirginiaTech. Today we #HonorWithAction and remember the victims and survivors. 🧵 Some of my friends were professors at Virginia Tech, and I remember the gut wrenching fear I experienced as I waited to learn if they were safe.

It was an awful day that I will never forget.

We at @bradybuzz celebrate the news that Remington has agreed to settle with the families of 9 victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

While this can not bring back their loved ones it is an important victory in creating gun industry accountability. [THREAD 🧵]

https://twitter.com/bradybuzz/status/1493645695013769221

Remington manufactured and marketed the AR-15 style weapon used to kill 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook.

This settlement is a crucial step toward holding the gun industry accountable for fueling America’s gun violence epidemic.
bradyunited.org/press-releases…

We at @bradybuzz believe we can't #EndGunViolence until we ensure everyone can fairly participate in our democracy.

That is why I am so deeply encouraged by @POTUS's impassioned plea for Congress to pass voting rights legislation.

🧵THREAD #DeliverVotingRightsNow What does voting access have to do w/ gun violence?

Polls consistently show that +90% of Americans want stronger gun laws. Yet repeatedly, bipartisan gun reform legislation is stopped in Congress #DeliverVotingRightsNow #EndGunViolence #TheFilibusterIsKillingUs #EndTheFilibuster

This is truly unconscionable & I need to speak out.

Look, we know "The Reload" is an extremist rag designed to pedal gun lobby lies.

But these desperate & baseless allegations about @POTUS nominee David Chipman are truly low — even for them.

Thread #EndGunViolence @bradybuzz

https://twitter.com/NSSF/status/1420848211317624840

Their sources? All unnamed. Convenient, right?

Also, here's a reminder about the NSSF from my friend @po_murray. They've spent millions block gun violence prevention legislation. #EndGunViolence

https://twitter.com/po_murray/status/1032103751388209153

The shooting outside the Nationals baseball game is chilling. We should never have to watch thousands of people scramble for safety.

But what's even more chilling is how gun violence harms the residents of Washington, D.C., every day.

🧵Thread
bradyunited.org/press-releases… Less than 24 before the shooting by Nationals Park, 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney was killed and 5 others were injured in a mass shooting in SE DC. #EndGunViolence wjla.com/news/local/fam…

Today marks 6 months since 1/6, when our nation suffered a violent & deadly assault on our democracy.

We at @bradybuzz are proud to unite with @TrumanProject, @TrumanCenter, @CAPActionGVP/@amprog, @NAACP & @ADL to demand action and answers.

🧵Thread bradyunited.medium.com/america-is-sta… We represent organizations with different goals & issues:

national security
gun violence
racial justice
combating antisemitism & hate
defending democracy

But we agree: January 6th can never happen again.

@bradybuzz @TrumanProject @TrumanCenter @CAPActionGVP @amprog @NAACP @ADL

According to @GunDeaths, the San Jose shooting today was the 24th workplace shooting of 2021. Those 24 shootings have seen 34 killed and 24 injured.

We *need* to talk about how business leaders can help prevent these tragedies.

🧵 Thread

(cc @fred_guttenberg; @bradybuzz) .@GunDeaths defines a "workplace shooting" as a shooting at a workplace by a disgruntled employee.

2021: 24 workplace shootings; 34 killed & 24 injured

2020: 47 workplace shootings; 33 killed & 23 injured

2019: 73 workplace shootings; 55 killed & 41 injured

Thx to @TishJames, we were just delivered news of a MAJOR legal win against the NRA.

Meanwhile, *right now* @bradybuzz leaders are testifying for vital gun violence prevention bills in both Colorado and Nevada.

Naturally, the NRA is opposing both of these bills.

🧵Thread The Colorado bill (SB 21-256) would empower localities to adopt gun safety measures that meet the needs of their own local communities.

That's common-sense. It's exactly what local govts should do, esp in the face of CO's gun suicide crisis.

But the NRA thinks it's "confusing."

This decision is a historic win for the rule of law and a sure sign of defeat for the NRA and its corrupt leadership.

The NRA cannot escape justice. Americans are sick of their lethal abuse.

Full @bradybuzz statement here: bradyunited.org/press-releases… #EnoughIsEnough Defeating the NRA has long been a mission of @bradybuzz, the org I am proud to lead.

For too long, the NRA has funneled blood money into blocking solutions to gun violence.

They even tried to stop the Brady Bill and background checks from becoming law. vanityfair.com/news/1991/01/g…

2 years ago today, a white nationalist opened fire at the Chabad of Poway synagogue.

We remember Lori Gilbert-Kaye, who was killed, & survivors Noya Dahan, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein & Almog Peretz.

We also NEED to talk about the specific AR-15-style rifle that was used.

🧵Thread It was a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 15 Sport II semiautomatic rifle.

This weapon has been the weapon of choice for mass shooters in America.

In fact, it is the same type of AR-15-style rifle used by the gunmen in:

— Parkland, FL
— Aurora, CO
— San Bernardino, CA

and more

3 years ago today, a gunman used an AR-15 to senselessly murder 4 young people at a Waffle House in Nashville. They had their whole lives ahead of them.

We remember their names:

— Joe R. Perez, 20
— Akilah Dasilva, 23 @akilah_the
— Deebony Groves, 21
— Taurean C. Sanderlin, 29 The 2018 Waffle House gunman wasn't stopped by a "good guy with a gun" — as is almost never the case. (This is a myth pushed by the gun lobby.)

Instead, he was stopped by @JamesShawJr9, who was unarmed. nytimes.com/2018/04/23/us/…

GREAT NEWS: Amid growing threats around homemade "ghost guns," both California AND Nevada just advanced bills to prevent the dangerous spread of these untraceable & unregulated firearms.

Thank you to @sandra4nv, @AsmCottie, @ca_brady & Brady Nevada! #EndGunViolence #CAleg #NVLeg More on the California ghost gun bill here, led by @AsmCottie.

“If it looks like a gun, and shoot like a gun, it’s a gun. Closing [the ghost gun] loophole is simple common sense.” #CAleg @ca_brady @bradybuzz ocregister.com/2021/04/21/gho…

Today's the anniversary of the Senate’s deadly failure to pass gun violence prevention reform via the filibuster.

What happened on 4/17/13 shows exactly why we must #AbolishTheFilibuster — & why we must stop at nothing to push the Senate to pass background checks today.

Thread The legislation that was killed on the Senate floor 8 years ago today was in response to the Sandy Hook shooting, where 20 first-graders & 6 school employees were senselessly murdered.

Americans across the country, DEMANDED Congress strengthen our weak gun laws. @NewtownAction