Alex Yablon

Extremism

One State’s Plan to Make Violent White Supremacy Grounds for Gun Removal

An amendment to Washington’s red flag law aims to broaden the scope of the state's tool for civil gun seizure.

National Rifle Association

Investigators Are Probing the NRA’s Nonprofit Status. Here’s What That Could Mean.

A loss of the organization’s tax-exempt status is not the only possibility — nor even the most devastating.

ATF

The Biggest Gun Heist You Haven’t Heard About

A West Virginia man pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of guns and firearms parts right under the nose of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In a little-noticed plea agreement submitted April 24, Christopher Lee Yates, 52,…

Extremism

What to Do About the Threat of White Supremacists With Guns

After the Pittsburgh synagogue attack this past October, Northeastern University criminologist Jack McDeavitt told me he feared it might herald more hate-fueled mass shootings. Last weekend, his fears came true when a white supremacist opened fire on a…

Gun Policy

Use of Red Flag Laws Varies Widely Among Local Police

Several states passed civil gun-seizure laws after Parkland, but their impact has varied state by state.

The Business of Guns

Major Bump Stock Retailer Sues Feds Over Destroyed Devices

RW Arms, a Texas-based gun accessory company, is suing the government for $20 million in compensation after surrendering its inventory of bump stocks for destruction in compliance with federal regulations. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. Court of Federal Claims…

ATF

The ATF’s Highest-Ranking Official Will Retire

Thomas Brandon, who has led the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives since 2015, will retire, the bureau confirmed on Wednesday. Brandon will step down on April 30. “Deputy Director Brandon has faithfully served ATF for 30 years, starting…

National Rifle Association

Untangling the NRA’s Ties to Mass Shooting Trutherism

The National Rifle Association is facing fresh scrutiny this week after the Huffington Post reported that an “NRA official” had corresponded with the infamous Sandy Hook school shooting denier Wolfgang Halbig. The official, Mark Richardson, had emailed Halbig…

ATF

Major Bump Stock Seller Surrenders 60,000 Devices to ATF

Hours before a federal rule banning the possession of bump stocks came into effect on Tuesday, Texas-based gun accessory retailer RW Arms announced it was voluntarily turning over its entire inventory of 60,000 unsold devices to the Bureau of…

ATF

Accused ATF Gun Thief Turns Himself In

The former contract security guard accused of stealing a “substantial” number of guns and gun parts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives quietly turned himself in to authorities the day after he skipped his initial…

ATF

Alleged ATF Gun Thief Is on the Lam

A longtime security guard is accused of stealing a “substantial” number of weapons — including a rare, fully-automatic rifle — from a government facility in West Virginia. This week, he skipped court.

ATF

ATF Heist Exposes Vulnerabilities in System for Firearm Disposal

A federal contractor stole an untold number of guns from a West Virginia facility. At least one of the weapons had been marked as destroyed.

ATF

The White House Wants the ATF to Give Up Booze and Cigarettes

The Trump administration’s 2020 budget would force the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to give up its longtime work regulating alcohol and tobacco. The proposal would transfer regulatory duties relating to alcohol and tobacco from the ATF…

The Business of Guns

U.S. Gun Makers Send Weapons South As Migrants Flee North

Experts say the Trump administration's push to weaken oversight of gun exports could worsen the Central American refugee crisis

The Business of Guns

Oversight of International Gun Sales Is in Shambles

According to two government reports, officials are approving sales without adequate information about how the guns may be used, and are failing to notify Congress of large-scale deals.