John,

The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate almost all gun industry oversight personnel, leaving gun dealers virtually unregulated and threatening public safety.

Just recently, 80 percent of special agents at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have been pulled from gun crime cases and reassigned to Trump’s immigration enforcement. The ATF is our nation’s only federal agency to oversee the gun industry, and this shift means that 2,000 agents are no longer investigating gun trafficking networks that fuel violent crime.  

And that’s not all. Do you want to guess how many ATF investigators there will be left to inspect all firearm dealers in the country? Here’s a hint: we have more gun dealers than McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger Kings, Subways, and Wendy’s combined. 

The answer, friend, is just over 50 investigators left for the nation's 75,000 gun dealers. Let that sink in.

Under Trump’s “burn it all down” approach to governing, the number of inspectors is at a critical low. After losing one in every seven firearms license investigators to job reduction and retirements this year, there are only 600 or so investigators left. And now Trump is proposing further cuts that would eliminate 541 inspectors. 

Already, the ATF is drowning in its mission to ensure all firearm dealers are following the law. As of today, gun dealers are only inspected once every decade on average, even though the agency’s goal has been once every three years. And now, with these new cuts, it would take at least 30 years for most gun dealers to be inspected!

Since Trump took office, the administration has aimed to politicize and undermine the ATF — an essential public safety agency. The gun industry shouldn’t be allowed to dictate how its regulatory agency operates.  

This is a lot to take in, friend. That’s why Brady President Kris Brown lays out this latest attack on ATF and what’s at stake in her most recent Substack. Please join us in reading more today.

In solidarity,

Team Brady

Honoring the Victims of Lewiston, ME, with Action

Two years ago today, a gunman used an assault-style weapon to kill 18 people and injure 13 others in a shooting spree in Lewiston, ME. It was the deadliest shooting of 2023.

Over and over again, we have seen the devastation wrought when assault weapons are used in massacres. From Highland Park, Uvalde, Buffalo, Parkland, Lewiston, and now most recently in the school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, these weapons of war are designed to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. 

In shootings where assault weapons or large-capacity magazines are used, 155% more people are shot, and 47% more people are killed. 

Enough is enough. 

Today, we are taking action to honor the victims of the shooting in Lewiston, ME, by sending a message to Congress to pass the Assault Weapons Ban of 2025. Join us!

Daniel v. Armlist: Holding the Gun Industry Accountable

Tuesday marked 13 years since a man walked into Azana Spa and Salon in Wisconsin, the workplace of his wife, Zina Haughton, and murdered her and two co-workers. He also injured four others.

Despite being a prohibited gun purchaser, the shooter was able to acquire a semi-automatic handgun through Armslist.com — a thriving online gun marketplace that facilitates gun sales, some through private sellers who are not required to conduct background checks on purchasers.

In the aftermath of this tragedy, Brady filed a lawsuit against Armslist.com on behalf of Haughton’s sister, alleging that the website negligently enabled the sale of the handgun.

In 2018, we won a landmark victory when a court held that Armslist.com can be held liable for negligently facilitating illegal gun purchases through its website. But, unfortunately, the case was ultimately dismissed on appeal due to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This unparalleled law has been interpreted to shield the gun industry from civil lawsuits — the only industry in America to enjoy such protections. 

We at Brady will never stop fighting to repeal PLCAA so victims and survivors of gun violence can have their day in court and hold the gun industry accountable. Please join us today in learning more about PLCAA and our fight for justice. 

WATCH NOW: “The Future of Firearm Safety Research: CDC & NIH Funding Under Threat”

Gun violence prevention research funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) is at risk. 

NRA-backed members of Congress are working to slash millions of dollars for firearm injury and mortality research, even going as far as trying to ban its federal funding entirely. This would severely undermine our ability to understand the full scope of gun violence — the leading cause of death for American youth — and identify evidence-based solutions to prevent it.

Watch our recorded webinar featuring members and supporters of Brady’s This Is Our Lane Campaign, including Brady Board Chair Dr. Joseph Sakran, to learn about the potential consequences of federal funding cuts and what you can do to advocate for continued support.

We Need Your Help: Vote for Brady to Win an Anthem Award!

Brady’s Gun Store Transparency Project is an Anthem Award finalist! This award celebrates purpose and mission-driven work worldwide. The Gun Store Transparency Project is the largest database of ATF inspection reports ever released to the public, helping shine a light on gun dealers who have broken the law and contribute to America’s gun violence crisis.   

Now, we need your help to win — and we don’t have much time. Voting ends in just FIVE days! 

To vote, 1) Open the link and find “Gun Store Transparency Project” by scrolling or using the search function; 2) Click on the campaign, enter the requested info, and save; 3) Finalize your vote by clicking the confirmation link in your email.

Arvada High School Students Meet With AG About School Safety, Denver Gazette

Where Does Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Take Place? Location of the Murder of Ajike Owens, US Weekly

Mass Shooting Victims Ask Fourth Circuit to Hold Gun Industry Accountable for Ads, Courthouse News Service

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