Rampage attacks, like the one that left a Louisiana congressman in critical condition last week, are horrifying, and to victims and families, devastating. But they are not an especially good proxy for understanding the epidemic of gun violence in America.
In any given week, there are over 200 more gun homicides than the worst mass shooting in American history — the massacre of 49 people at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub in June 2016. These “everyday” victims of gun violence are shot by rivals, friends, strangers, family members, and even children.
This understanding is one of the very first we reached when we launched The Trace, two years ago this week. It has shaped our coverage and led us to many more truths. Here are 14 that have surprised us the most.
Miles was with The Trace from its founding in 2015 to 2023, as news editor, special projects editor, and deputy editor. Under his leadership, The Trace completed complex special projects such as Off Target, co-reported with USA TODAY and republished by more than 100 local news organizations; Missing Pieces, a collaboration with several partners, including local NBC affiliates, that made data on stolen and recovered guns available to local journalists and the public; and Shot and Forgotten, a multimedia collaboration on survivors of gun violence, which included guidance for journalists on how to cover gunshot victims’ stories with empathy and sensitivity. Miles served as The Trace’s de facto art department, recruiting illustrators and photographers and working with digital design firms to create custom layouts and user experiences as needed. Miles previously worked at Eight by Eight, TIME, and Fast Company. He was a 2020 recipient of the American Society of Magazine Editors NEXT Awards, honoring transformative magazine journalists under 30.
