We need your help holding the line, friend. According to recent reports, the Trump administration's so-called Department of Government Efficiency is preparing its next attack on gun violence prevention: slashing upwards of 50 life-saving firearm rules and regulations under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This news came only days after the administration announced it would be cutting two-thirds of ATF workers responsible for inspecting licensed gun dealers. The ATF is the only federal agency tasked with oversight and regulation of the gun industry. Gutting this agency's resources and eliminating regulations and tools that prevent gun violence benefits no one except gun industry CEOs. Gun violence will inevitably rise and our communities will pay the price. While the exact scope of these cuts and changes has not yet been announced, the administration had indicated that they are likely to include changes to measures that keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited purchasers and gun traffickers — including the form most individuals must fill out to purchase a gun and the program that identifies firearms dealers that are top suppliers of guns used in crimes. This is not the future Americans want, nor is it the one we deserve. Our federal government should be dedicated to preventing gun violence and protecting our safety — not opening pathways to allow the gun industry to put profits over our lives.
And that's why we're reaching out to you today, friend. It is time we show that we want gun safety — not guns everywhere! Use your voice to prove to the Trump administration that we condemn these attacks on the ATF.
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In solidarity, Team Brady |
Gun Violence Spikes During the Summer — Learn How to Protect Your Family Every year around Independence Day, we see some of the highest rates of unintentional shootings in the U.S., especially involving children. Last weekend, we saw that trend continue. On July 3, a six year old was injured by a self-inflicted gunshot wound because of an unsecured gun. On July 5, a three year old was killed by an unsecured gun owned by an individual not legally allowed to possess a firearm. |
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Representing Victims of Gun Violence and Holding the Gun Industry Accountable in Court |
This week, Brady Legal and our co-counsel, Smith Lacien, filed a lawsuit against the gun dealer Range USA on behalf of Laura Carlson for the role they played in a straw purchase that nearly ended Laura's life. Laura was driving her daughter back from a graduation celebration when she was shot in the neck. The bullet exited the back of her head — leaving her with permanent physical and psychological scars. The shooter was under 21 years old and did not possess an Illinois Firearms Owners Identification (FOID) card. This meant that he was not legally allowed to purchase a handgun from a dealer like Range USA. So, he used his 21-year-old girlfriend to make a straw purchase for him. Straw purchasing is when the actual purchaser of a firearm uses another person to complete the necessary paperwork, undergo the background check, and obtain the firearm. Straw purchases are illegal and are the most common method of gun trafficking. But unfortunately, some gun dealers willfully or negligently ignore red flags that make it obvious a straw purchase is occurring. In this suit, we allege that if Range USA staff had been appropriately trained and supervised, employees would have been able to stop the obvious straw purchase and report the attempted transaction to law enforcement. Range USA had previously received multiple warnings from law enforcement that it was selling a disproportionate number of firearms that were subsequently tied to crime, yet did not take steps to address the problem or prevent the foreseeable misuse of straw purchased firearms.
Our suit aims to hold Range USA accountable for its irresponsible and unreasonable decision to put profits over public safety, as well as other parties whose negligent or unlawful misconduct contributed to the shooting. Learn more today about our case, straw purchasing, and about how irresponsible firearm dealers have contributed to the gun violence epidemic.
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Help Hold the Line Against Gun Industry Attacks |
Last week, President Trump signed his "Big, Ugly Bill" into law. This gun industry-backed legislation will have devastating consequences for our communities: It makes gun silencers, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and other dangerous firearms far more accessible, and ends Medicaid coverage for 17 million Americans, including survivors of gun violence. This bill is a slap in the face to the American public, stripping people of protections against gun violence and life-saving health care, and provides a handout to gun industry CEOs. Just days after the bill became law, several gun extremist groups, including Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), announced that they will file a lawsuit to dismantle all provisions of the National Firearms Act (NFA). They argue that given these deadly firearms and devices are no longer taxed under Trump's tax bill, they cannot be constitutionally regulated. Make no mistake: This is a coordinated attack by the gun industry to dismantle essential, life-saving protections against gun violence. In fact, GOA said that they have been working behind the scenes with lawmakers since November to repeal the NFA. Under Trump's leniency, the gun industry continues to be emboldened. They will stop at nothing to undo all of our hard fought progress, and we have to hold the line. But we need your help. Will you support our legal team in their fight to protect and preserve life-saving gun laws? |
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