WASHINGTON - Today, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) released a series of reports detailing gun trafficking data between 2017 and 2021. Brady, the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization, repeatedly called for this data’s release and has made concerted efforts for increased transparency from ATF. The trafficking data’s release comes on the heels of Brady’s own analysis of ATF’s Demand Letter 2 program where the organization revealed which dealers are the largest suppliers of the nation’s crime guns.
Kris Brown, President of Brady said:
“If a river is contaminated, we don’t search at the bottom for answers. We look upstream to see what is degrading the water. Looking to see what is fueling the gun violence epidemic should be no different. This crisis has a source and crime guns are the pollutant.
“With the release of this data, ATF for the first time in two decades is providing a more comprehensive view into where the trafficked firearms that are killing our fellow Americans are coming from. This data answers the question of why we need greater federal firearm safety legislation. Even states with strong gun laws cannot be completely insulated against this epidemic because neighboring states do not have the same safeguards to stop firearms from ending up in dangerous hands. If we stop traffickers, we’re cutting off the flow of firearms, and that starts with strengthening our country’s laws and holding negligent firearm dealers accountable.
“With this knowledge, we can trace where our resources to stop trafficking need to be the most concentrated. We are thankful to ATF for releasing this data, and we are grateful to the Biden administration for their unwavering commitment to freeing America from gun violence. Without President Biden’s leadership, this data may have never seen the light of day. With the light being shed on the sources of America’s crime guns, we can staunch the flow of firearms that are contaminating and plaguing our nation.”
Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.
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