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The Trace @thetrace.org · 15h

Gun sales are down more than 35 percent from a record high in 2020, when pandemic lockdowns and widespread social unrest drove unprecedented crowds to stores.

Retailers worry the president’s gun-friendly policies will continue to hurt sales.

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.

By the Numbers: Gun Violence in Q3

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 19h

In June, former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman was assassinated in her home. Weeks later, a shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School. The tragedies have led to an ongoing battle over gun laws in the state.

Read more: thetr.ac/1atOD

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 1d

In 2016, the country’s best-known suicide prevention group teamed up with the gun industry to tackle the biggest form of gun death. The effort was good for public relations and raising money, but it never came close to meeting its goal. A trove of internal records shows why: thetr.ac/UgKW6

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 1d

In the inaugural edition of our 92 Days In Gun Violence column, data reporter Aaron Mendelson goes over trends in shootings from July through September. Among the noteworthy data points: shooting deaths are down 14 percent through three quarters compared to last year.

Learn more:

Is gun violence up or down across the U.S.? In our inaugural quarterly analysis, the Gun Violence Data Hub dives into this question.

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 1d

How violent is Portland, Oregon, the latest Democratic city that President Donald Trump says “has been on fire for years”?

The Trace dug into the numbers and found that gun violence in the city has been plummeting since the pandemic.

Read more: thetr.ac/7O0tj

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 2d

Republicans and Democrats in Minnesota have been embroiled in a contentious battle over gun reform since the assassination of former state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.

The assassination of a former House speaker, followed by the deadly Annunciation school shooting, has reignited a battle over the state's gun laws.

Here Are the Facts About Gun Violence in Portland

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 2d

As part of his multi-pronged incursion into American cities, President Donald Trump has portrayed Portland, Oregon, as “war-ravaged.” But a Trace analysis found that gun violence in the city has been plummeting since the pandemic.

The Trump administration has claimed violent crime is rampant in Oregon’s largest city. A Trace analysis shows that shootings have actually plummeted.

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 2d

Firearms 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, and this administration has put them at ease a little bit,” one gun store owner said.

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.

Bulletin: Under Trump, the Gun Industry Loses One of Its Best Sales Tactics

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 3d

Even while the Trump administration has boosted gun-friendly policies, sales have continued to slow.

Even while the Trump administration has boosted gun-friendly policies, sales have continued to slow.

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Reposted by The Trace

Will Van Sant @vansant.bsky.social · 3d

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-...

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.

By the Numbers: Gun Violence in Q3

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Reposted by The Trace

Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 3d

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...

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 3d

The U.S. has experienced 11,197 shooting deaths this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive through September 30, 2025.

If this figure seems high, that’s because it is. But it also represents a sharp decline from recent years.

Is gun violence up or down across the U.S.? In our inaugural quarterly analysis, the Gun Violence Data Hub dives into this question.

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 3d

“People have a tendency to want what they feel is under threat, and this administration has put them at ease a little bit.”

Gun sales spiked in 2020, amid pandemic lockdowns and social unrest. But in the five years since, sales have plummeted. Retailers worry a second “Trump Slump” is near.

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, and this administration has put them at ease a little bit,” one said.

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 4d

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has floated a special legislative session to consider gun legislation and school safety.

With the House deadlocked and the state’s Democrats holding a one‑vote edge in the Senate, significant reform runs through the GOP, making new restrictions unlikely.

The assassination of a former House speaker, followed by the deadly Annunciation school shooting, has reignited a battle over the state's gun laws.

A Program Backed by the Gun Industry Failed to Reduce Suicide — and Was Secretly Shut Down Early

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Reposted by The Trace

Will Van Sant @vansant.bsky.social · 4d

Revealing look by @mikespies.bsky.social at a troubled and now abandoned partnership between the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the gun industry's trade group.

Seems it had some success as a PR exercise at least.

www.thetrace.org/2025/10/gun-...

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, and internal records show why.

A Program Backed by the Gun Industry Failed to Reduce Suicide — and Was Secretly Shut Down Early

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Reposted by The Trace

Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 4d

Claim: President Trump says Portland is "war-ravaged" and "on fire."

Fact-check: Gun violence in Portland has been plummeting since the pandemic — and shootings in the neighborhood around the ICE facility are rare

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 4d

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, and internal records show why.

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, and internal records show why.

Here Are the Facts About Gun Violence in Portland

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 4d

How violent is Portland, Oregon, the latest Democratic city that President Donald Trump says “has been on fire for years”?

The Trace dug into the numbers and found that gun violence in the city has been plummeting since the pandemic.

The Trump administration has claimed violent crime is rampant in Oregon’s largest city. A Trace analysis shows that shootings have actually plummeted.

Here Are the Facts About Gun Violence in Portland

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 5d

The Trump administration has claimed violent crime is rampant in Oregon’s largest city. A Trace analysis shows that shootings have actually plummeted.

The Trump administration has claimed violent crime is rampant in Oregon’s largest city. A Trace analysis shows that shootings have actually plummeted.

Bulletin: Violence Intervention Funding Is Being Cut as Cities Are Building Foundations

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 5d

A report by Community Justice shows that funding for outreach-based intervention fell from 63 percent among 100 cities in 2023 to 60 percent in 2024.

A report by Community Justice shows that funding for outreach-based intervention fell from 63 percent among 100 cities in 2023 to 60 percent in 2024.

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Reposted by The Trace

Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 5d

Since the assassination of former state House Rep. Melissa Hortman and the Annunciation school shooting, calls have growing for gun reform in Minnesota. But as @bychipbrownlee.com reports, the path to reform runs through Republicans, making gun restrictions unlikely to pass.

The assassination of a former House speaker, followed by the deadly Annunciation school shooting, has reignited a battle over the state's gun laws.

Support of the NRA Is Linked to Support of Political Violence, New Research Finds

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 5d

The recent uptick in political attacks has shaken Americans. Researchers are examining the sentiments related to these acts.

The recent uptick in political attacks has shaken Americans. Researchers are examining the sentiments related to these acts.

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 5d

The June assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman — followed weeks later by a deadly mass shooting at Minneapolis's Annunciation Catholic School — has reignited the state's long-running fight over gun laws.

The assassination of a former House speaker, followed by the deadly Annunciation school shooting, has reignited a battle over the state's gun laws.

This Small Pennsylvania City Is Challenging the State’s Control Over Local Gun Laws

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The Trace @thetrace.org · 5d

A series of shootings in York, Pennsylvania, prompted officials to ban ghost guns and machine gun converters. But a looming state Supreme Court ruling could invalidate these laws.

A series of shootings prompted York officials to ban ghost guns and machine gun converters. But the laws may not stick.