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Gun Violence Prevention Policy FAQs

In this fact sheet series, the Center for American Progress will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about key policy issues related to gun violence prevention. With an average of 106 people killed with a gun every day and thousands more suffering the lifelong impact of gun violence, it is more urgent than ever for policymakers to take action to address this public health epidemic.

Supporters of gun control and firearm safety measures hold a protest rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 2019. (Getty/Saul Loeb)

In this series

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Trafficking
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Trafficking

U.S. firearms are trafficked with alarming frequency, increasing violence in the United States and across international borders.

Frequently Asked Questions About Firearm Safe Storage
A handgun is seen in its case at a gun shop in Delray Beach, Florida, January 2016. (Getty/Joe Raedle)
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Firearm Safe Storage

Safe storage practices can help to keep children safe, deter gun theft, and avoid preventable gun-related deaths and injuries.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Industry Immunity
The National Rifle Association (NRA) holds its annual meeting and convention in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 21, 2016. (Getty/NurPhoto/Zach D Roberts)
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Gun Industry Immunity

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act prevents the gun industry from being held accountable for harm caused and disincentivizes the industry from ensuring consumer safety.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Violence and Firearms
Demonstrators on Capitol Hill hold up placards representing the number of the people who have died due to gun violence, Washington, D.C., June 2019 (Getty/AFP/Jim Watson)
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Violence and Firearms

Serious gaps in federal law allow loopholes for some domestic violence abusers to access firearms, intensifying harm in moments that are already dangerous for survivors.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ghost Guns
(Ghost guns that were secured by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department are on display during a press conference held by Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) in Washington, D.C., February 2020.)
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Ghost Guns

Homemade firearms that can be procured without a background check and do not have serial numbers, known as ghost guns, pose unique risks to community safety.

Frequently Asked Questions About the ‘Charleston Loophole’
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About the ‘Charleston Loophole’

A dangerous gap in federal law allows gun dealers to proceed with a sale before a background check has been completed—enabling people who are otherwise prohibited from gun possession to continue to buy guns.

Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Must Be Banned
A sign calling for a ban on assault weapons is held at a vigil in Los Angeles for the Pulse nightclub shooting, June 2016. (Getty/David McNew)
Fact Sheet

Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Must Be Banned

Assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines are weapons of war that have no place in America’s communities and should be banned.

Frequently Asked Questions About Universal Background Checks
An anti-gun violence activist attends a rally on Capitol Hill, September 2013, in Washington, D.C. (Getty/Brendan Smialowski)
Fact Sheet

Frequently Asked Questions About Universal Background Checks

Universal background checks are a crucial foundation for a strong system of gun safety laws that will help reduce gun violence and save lives.

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