NPR

What It Takes To Get Guns Out Of The Wrong Hands

Prosecutors and law enforcement in the Seattle area have embarked on a new anti-violence strategy: Make sure the people who've been ordered to give up their guns actually do so.

"Why did he even have a gun?" — it's a common refrain in America, often after mass shootings by people who legally aren't supposed to have firearms.

One of the worst recent examples was the massacre in a Sutherland Springs, Texas, church last November, in which 26 people were killed by a man whose domestic violence conviction should have barred him from buying guns.

It happened again a week later, when a man in Rancho Tehama, Calif., killed four people and shot up the outside of a school. He, too, had been ordered to give up his guns, but verification of his compliance was left to the "honor system."

"The system is reactive," says Chris Anderson, a prosecutor

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Hamas Says It's Preparing To Respond To Israel's Latest Gaza Cease-fire Proposal
The militant group says it's examining the latest Israeli suggestions for a cease-fire in Gaza, seven months into the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
NPR2 min read
These Dreamy Photos Of Historical Cairo Will Transport You To Another Time
Photographer Nour El Massry captures ethereal images of Egyptian landscapes, interiors and architecture in one of the world's largest megacities.
NPR3 min readInternational Relations
World Central Kitchen Says It Will Resume Operations In Gaza
The aid group said the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire and that it has almost 8 million meals ready to distribute. The group halted efforts after Israeli strikes killed seven workers.

Related Books & Audiobooks