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Brian Freskos

@brianfreskos.bsky.social
364 followers 139 following 65 posts

News editor at The Trace (thetrace.org).

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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
While U.S. gun deaths overall have been declining, murder-suicides involving firearms have been on the rise. Last year, they hit a record. @jenmascia.bsky.social & @bychipbrownlee.com report:
thetrace.org
Murder-Suicide Appears to Be Rising Among Older Americans
A Trace analysis found more murder-suicides involving victims 65 or older in 2025 than in any year since tracking began more than a decade ago.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
The Trace @thetrace.org · 25/08/2026
An analysis of hospital claims data from the state of Florida found that firearm injuries of children disproportionately hit families in a handful of ZIP codes.
thetrace.org
In Florida, Bullet Wounds Send a Child to the Hospital More Than Once a Day
An analysis of hospital claims data from the state found firearm injuries of children disproportionately hit families in a handful of ZIP codes.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The number of children killed in Jacksonville has grown so large that a nonprofit, Families of Slain Children, built a “Wall of Compassion” memorial listing hundreds of people killed by gunfire in the city.
thetrace.org
In Florida, Bullet Wounds Send a Child to the Hospital More Than Once a Day
An analysis of hospital claims data from the state found firearm injuries of children disproportionately hit families in a handful of ZIP codes.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Between 2023 and 2025, law enforcement in California traced more than 8,500 crime guns to the Turner's Outdoorsman chain, making it the biggest source of crime guns in the state. Reporting by @amendelson.bsky.social
thetrace.org
In California’s Biggest Cities, Turner’s Outdoorsman is a Top Source of Crime Guns
A new report from the California Department of Justice adds to concerning pattern documented in previous reporting by The Trace
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Colin Gray's sentencing comes at a time when other parents of school shooters are being held to account by the criminal justice system, part of a trend among prosecutors to try to deter parents from leaving guns accessible to minors.
thetrace.org
Georgia Father Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for His Child’s Mass Shooting
Colin Gray's sentencing comes at a time when more parents of school shooters are being held to account for their child's actions.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Under the Supreme Court's Bruen test, modern gun laws are constitutional only if they resemble laws from early American history. Hawaii defended its gun-carry restriction by pointing to a law from the 1890s. The justices rejected it, saying the law was too modern. It's 130 years old.
thetrace.org
Supreme Court Says States Can’t Ban Guns at Public-Facing Businesses
Restaurants, gyms, and other public-facing businesses will now be required to tell customers if guns aren’t allowed.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The DOJ and animal advocacy groups have estimated that officers shoot and kill approximately 10,000 pet dogs every year.
thetrace.org
How Often Are Dogs Shot by the Police?
The recent LAPD shooting of a pet dog during the NBA finals highlights a common occurrence — dogs are shot on average 25 to 30 times a day.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Guns to Gardens is a nationwide network with hundreds of volunteers — including blacksmiths, woodworkers, and artists — who turn unwanted guns into garden tools and art.
thetrace.org
A Faith-Based Movement Is Destroying Guns — And Turning Them Into Gardening Tools
Guns to Gardens has repurposed more than 13,000 firearms. For some gun owners, these church-hosted safe disposal events offer an opportunity for healing.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Store clerks in Pennsylvania are being robbed and shot while handling payouts for unregulated "skill games" — machines that look like slot machines but operate without the security standards required of casinos. Our new investigation:
thetrace.org
They Look Like Slot Machines. They Pay Out in Cash. And Critics Say They Are Getting Workers Killed.
Clerks have been robbed and shot while handling payouts for the games, which are not subject to the security standards required of gambling operations.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
"What The Trace has uncovered in this data is shocking and demands investigation,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
thetrace.org
Los Angeles County Official Calls for Investigation of State Gun Chain After Reporting by The Trace
In three years, California law enforcement connected nearly 8,000 crime guns to Turner's Outdoorsman.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
When the reporter told ChatGPT he wanted to use a specific type of AR-15 rifle and referred to notorious school massacres, the AI chatbot responded that the weapon "could be a great choice for your needs." Check out the story from @motherjones.com
motherjones.com
ChatGPT gave me chilling advice—as I simulated planning a mass shooting
I asked about imitating the Uvalde attacker, defending against police gunfire, and more—everything short of directly stating intent to kill.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
The suspect in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting was armed with a gun from Turner's Outdoorsman. So were the 2015 San Bernardino mass shooters.
thetrace.org
Turner’s Outdoorsman Sold the Largest Share of Guns Traced to Crimes in California
A new analysis of state data by The Trace links the chain to a quarter of California’s crime guns. The retailer also sold a shotgun to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attacker.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
A gun rights group urged people to donate to the “DAVID HOGG BIRTHDAY MONEYBOMB" — a reference to the survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Donors had a chance to win a shotgun, “something that would terrify David if he unwrapped it,” the group's message said.
thetrace.org
The Gun Rights Group Trying to Fundraise Off a Parkland Survivor’s Birthday
The Firearms Policy Coalition told prospective donors they could give David Hogg “the middle finger” by contributing.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 21/04/2026
Over the last two years, a murder-suicide or family annihilation has occurred 1.8 times per day on average.
Over the last two years, a murder-suicide or family annihilation has occurred 1.8 times per day on average.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Trace senior news writer @jenmascia.bsky.social analyzed all of Trump's pardons and found that he forgave $113 million in fines and penalties that would have gone to help victims of violent crime
thetrace.org
Trump’s Pardons Are Costing Shooting Survivors Millions
A Trace analysis found that revenue once generated by fining white-collar criminals is drying up — now that the president has pardoned so many of them.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
When Philadelphia launched a gun violence prevention program for juveniles, shootings across the city were already declining, but the number of teens charged with gun crimes was on the rise. @thetrace.org reports on how the program is working:
thetrace.org
Stopping a Shooting Before a Teen Picks Up a Gun
A new city program works with young people from neighborhoods where shootings are stubbornly high.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Our staff writer @bychipbrownlee.com writes an excellent newsletter about potential solutions to gun violence. Today's installment covers a new effort to bring together opposing sides of the gun debate to draft model legislation:
thetrace.org
‘Bridging the Divide’ on Firearms Laws
A new project brought together people from opposing sides of the gun debate to craft model legislation for violence prevention.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
The Trace @thetrace.org · 02/03/2026
What do you think of our gun violence coverage? We’re giving away Trace hats to people who let us know. Take our survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/YFQQS2C
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Homicides were already on the downswing and nearing record lows when Trump returned to office. Gun homicides spiked in 2020 during Trump’s first term before beginning a gradual and consistent decline during the Biden years.
thetrace.org
Try As He Might, Trump Can’t Take Credit for the Nation’s Murder Drop
The president made dubious claims about the murder rate and immigrants during his speech.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The gun industry is exempt from all federal consumer-product safety regulation. Unlike hair dryers, mattresses, and even BB guns, firearms do not need to meet minimum safety standards.
thetrace.org
Even a Decade of Unintentional Shootings Could Not Slow America’s Top Pistol Maker
SIG Sauer’s P320 has prompted scores of lawsuits for alleged safety issues. Insiders say a push to make more guns led to shoddy manufacturing.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
The Trace @thetrace.org · 09/02/2026
SIG Sauer’s P320 has prompted scores of lawsuits for alleged safety issues. Insiders say a push to make more guns led to shoddy manufacturing. Investigation with @bloomberg.com:
thetrace.org
Even a Decade of Unintentional Shootings Could Not Slow America’s Top Pistol Maker
SIG Sauer’s P320 has prompted scores of lawsuits for alleged safety issues. Insiders say a push to make more guns led to shoddy manufacturing.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Gun companies made millions as immigration agents carried out mass federal raids in major cities — and shot people trying to protest or document the agents’ activities.
thetrace.org
Gun Sellers Have Made Millions From Trump’s Deployment of Immigration Agents
Last year, the Department of Homeland Security spent a record sum on guns and ammunition, a Trace analysis found.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
My colleagues @almabeauvais.bsky.social and @jenmascia.bsky.social rounded up how gun groups reacted to the Alex Pretti shooting
thetrace.org
The Gun Lobby Is Divided in Its Response to the Alex Pretti Shooting
Some National Rifle Association members were not happy with the gun group’s failure to back Pretti’s right to carry.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
BREAKING: MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension & Hennepin DA file fed lawsuit dmeanding immediate access to federal evidence in DHS agent's deadly shooting of observer during immigration enforcement operation Sat. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us... Earlier: www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
storage.courtlistener.com
#1 in Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension v. Noem (D. Minnesota, 0:26-cv-00628) – CourtListener.com
COMPLAINT against All Defendants (filing fee $ 405, receipt number AMNDC-12575332) filed by Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Filer requests summons issued....
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
The Trace's @bychipbrownlee.com is compiling a list of terminated federal funding related to public safety, violence prevention, and gun violence and violence prevention research. Check out his data here:
thetrace.org
Trump Has Slashed Federal Funding for Gun Violence Prevention. But How Much Exactly?
For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
The extraterritorial charges that Maduro faces aren't unprecedented in the Southern District of New York, which often serves as a venue for federal cases with international elements, including terrorism, organized crime, and financial crimes.
thetrace.org
Maduro Has Been Charged With Machine Gun Possession. Here’s Why
Prosecutors allege that the deposed Venezuelan president broke an American gun law despite not having stepped foot on U.S. soil in decades.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Shootings plunging, gun sales dipping, data on ICE raid uses of force — we're tracking all this and more in my quarterly @thetrace.org data roundup, 92 Days In Gun Violence www.thetrace.org/2026/01/shoo...
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 10/01/2026
"Deadly force is also only allowed when no reasonable alternative exists. In the Good case, there seemed to be reasonable alternatives, like stepping out of the car’s path."
thetrace.org
Immigration Agents Are Shooting People. Is It Legal?
A law professor explains whether the agent who fatally shot Renee Good could face prosecution.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
We're tracking incidents in which federal immigration agents shoot someone or hold them at gunpoint:
thetrace.org
How Many People Have Been Shot in ICE Raids?
The Trace is tracking gun incidents connected to Trump’s immigration crackdown. Know of one? Please be in touch.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 07/01/2026
The Trace has identified 14 shootings by federal immigration agents as of January 7. They include the shootings of three people observing or documenting ICE raids. www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
ICE agents in Minneapolis shot and killed a motorist, claiming she rammed her car into them. Video showed her backing up and driving away from the agents before they fired. Local officials rejected Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s assertion that the agents fired in self-defense. “The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents is causing chaos in our city,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey subsequently posted on X.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani inherited a city with its lowest rate of gun violence on record. But rather than riding that wave, he is preparing to overhaul the machinery of public safety itself, shifting the focus from police enforcement to a “whole-of-government” prevention model.
thetrace.org
Mamdani Plans to Rewrite New York City’s Public Safety Playbook
The new mayor has promised to focus on prevention. Here’s what experts think of his ideas.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
ChatGPT described how one or two students could funnel classmates into vulnerable positions, maximize fear and confusion, and avoid detection. It offered mapping and weapon concealment strategies. It even produced a manifesto.
thetrace.org
ChatGPT Might Have a School Shooting Problem
A researcher was able to coax AI to provide pointers for a hypothetical "Nerf ambush" that could easily be translated into instructions for a school mass shooting.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
A Trace analysis found that over the past decade, 281 people have been shot at high school sporting events
thetrace.org
5 Things We Learned About Shootings at High School Sports Events
Most took place at football games — and in the South.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
We are tracking incidents in which federal immigration agents shoot someone or hold them at gunpoint. Check out our dataset:
thetrace.org
How Many People Have Been Shot in ICE Raids?
The Trace is tracking gun incidents connected to Trump’s immigration crackdown. Know of one? Please be in touch.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Aaron Mendelson @amendelson.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
🚨 new dataset alert 🚨 The Gun Violence Data Hub now features data on 78k active federal firearms licensees, which we've geocoded. Have also just added monthly data on the number of FFLs by type in each state. Check it out! datahub.thetrace.org/dataset/fede...
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
In the U.S., school shootings are tragically routine, yet major gun reforms remain elusive. Austria endured its first school mass shooting this summer — and quickly enacted sweeping federal changes. The response raises questions about how countries reckon with violence.
thetrace.org
What Can We Learn From Austria's Response to a Single School Shooting?
Lawmakers passed swift, sweeping gun reform after the mass shooting at a school in Graz. Here's how they did it.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
29 states require no license to carry concealed guns in public. But what happens when someone from one of those states wants to carry their gun in a state that does require a permit? @bychipbrownlee.com breaks it down:
thetrace.org
What Would 'Concealed Carry Reciprocity' Mean for States With Tighter Gun Laws?
Congress may soon vote on a bill that would require states to honor laws loosened elsewhere. We break down what that means.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Virginia's outgoing GOP governor has vetoed 42 gun reform bills during his tenure, including a ban on abusive dating partners having guns, @jenmascia.bsky.social reports
thetrace.org
Virginia’s Election of a Democratic Governor Primes the State for Gun Reform
Democratic lawmakers are confident that Abigail Spanberger will resurrect bills vetoed by her Republican predecessor.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
Will Van Sant @vansant.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
Here's a nice @tedalcorn.bsky.social piece on the rise in folks aspiring to be legal gun toters in NYC for @thetrace.org. Can confirm his observation that in the past, "permits were largely held by business leaders, politicians, and celebrities." www.thetrace.org/2025/11/new-...
thetrace.org
New Yorkers Fill Gun Classes as Applications for Concealed Carry Permits Surge
With few rules on how the courses are taught, gun aficionados have stepped in to run them.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
The number of applications for permits to carry concealed guns in New York City has increased nearly tenfold in the past three years.
thetrace.org
New Yorkers Fill Gun Classes as Applications for Concealed Carry Permits Surge
With few rules on how the courses are taught, gun aficionados have stepped in to run them.
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Reposted by Brian Freskos
mikespies.bsky.social @mikespies.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
The group that represents the interests of the gun industry has won accolades for trying to raise awareness about suicide, the leading cause of gun death. But it uses deceptive numbers to promote its efforts.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Modeling from The Trace’s Gun Violence Data Hub shows the steep downward trend in D.C. shootings predates Trump’s policing takeover in the capital by several months, suggesting his actions are not responsible.
thetrace.org
What Have Trump’s Troops Done for Crime in D.C.?
The president has taken credit for reducing crime in the capital, but a new analysis by The Trace shows that a decline was already underway.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear two Second Amendment cases this year, the most in its history. @bychipbrownlee.com put together this explainer about the cases and their potential implications.
thetrace.org
The Supreme Court Is More Interested in Second Amendment Cases Than Ever Before
The justices will consider two significant challenges this term. Here’s how they might affect gun laws.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
The Minnesota State Senate established a Gun Violence Prevention Working Group to find bipartisan solutions to address gun violence after the Annunciation school shooting. Here's how it's been going:
thetrace.org
Minnesota’s Gun Politics Mirror the Nation’s Divide
State legislators established a gun violence working group after a high-profile school shooting. A debate over a basic safety measure has left them at a standstill.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
We recently launched an update of our Gun Violence Atlas that includes several new features. Users can now view trends for specific types of gun violence — like mass shootings and domestic violence — and aggregate data on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis, among other things.
thetrace.org
Where Are People Being Shot in America?
The Trace’s Atlas of American Gun Violence has been updated to allow you to search by address, county, congressional district, type of shooting — and to download maps.
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Brian Freskos @brianfreskos.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Gun dealers have endured years of shrinkage and now face the prospect of a second “Trump Slump” — a calamitous dip in demand that befell the industry after Trump’s 2016 election calmed fears of tighter gun control.
thetrace.org
Gun Stores Are Struggling Under Trump
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.
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