Expert: Bruen test is out of step and unworkable in practice, hopeful SCOTUS will provide guidance on evaluating future firearms restrictions

“The case U.S. v. Rahimi is the first opportunity since New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen for the U.S. Supreme Court to consider its application to a firearms restriction. I am particularly interested to see if the…

Researchers blow whistle on forensic science method

If forensic experts have access to a suspect’s gun, they can compare the microscopic markings from discarded shell casings with those found at a crime scene. Finding and reporting a mismatch can help free the innocent, just as a match can incriminate the guilty. But new research reveals mismatches are more likely than matches to be reported as “inconclusive” in cartridge-case comparisons.

High rate of mental health problems & political extremism found in those who bought firearms during COVID pandemic

People who bought firearms during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic have much higher rates of recent suicidal thoughts, self-harm behaviors, and intimate partner violence, a new study suggests, compared with other firearm owners and people who do not own firearms.

Concerns about violence increase in California amid COVID-19 pandemic

A new study by the UC Davis Violence Prevention Program looked at the intersection of the coronavirus pandemic and violence-related harms in California. It found that COVID-19 pandemic was linked to an estimated 110,000 firearm purchases in California and increases in individuals’ worries about violence.

Study: U.S. firearm death rate rose sharply in recent years across most states & demographic groups

The rate at which Americans died from firearm injuries increased sharply starting in 2015, a new study shows. The change occurred to varying degrees across different states, types of firearm death such as homicide and suicide, and demographics. In all, the US saw a 14% rise in the rate of firearm deaths from 2015 through 2017, compared with the rate seen in the years 1999 through 2014.