Jennifer Mascia

Jennifer is a senior news writer and founding staffer at The Trace. She previously covered gun violence at The New York Times. In her decade on this beat, she's covered community gun violence, the intersection of domestic violence and guns, and the growing role of firearms in public life.

Road Rage Shootings Have Surged Over the Past Decade

A Decade of American Gun Violence

Road Rage Shootings Have Surged Over the Past Decade

An analysis by The Trace shows that gunfire on roads and highways is becoming more common as drivers increasingly use firearms to express their anger.

Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee
Columbine, 25 Years Ago, Marked the Start of a Harrowing New Era

Bulletin

Columbine, 25 Years Ago, Marked the Start of a Harrowing New Era

Tomorrow marks 25 years since the mass shooting at Columbine High School. On April 20, 1999, the nation was paralyzed as broadcasters captured the scene: kids escaping through windows and carried out on stretchers. All told, two students murdered 12…

Jennifer Mascia
The Armed Era

In Guns We Trust

The Armed Era

Since the mass shooting at Columbine High School 25 years ago, guns have grown ubiquitous, showing up in grocery stores, airports, and political protests, and encroaching on our lives in new and unprecedented ways.

Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee
You’re More Likely to Be Shot in Selma Than in Chicago

Data

You’re More Likely to Be Shot in Selma Than in Chicago

Over the past decade, gun violence has expanded beyond the urban limits it is so often associated with, according to a Trace analysis of Gun Violence Archive data.

Olga Pierce, Jennifer Mascia, and Chip Brownlee
New York’s Imperfect Attempt to Unlock Resources for Survivors of Mass Shootings

Mass Shooting

New York’s Imperfect Attempt to Unlock Resources for Survivors of Mass Shootings

Lawmakers wanted to help more victims by defining “mass shootings,” but they came up short.

Jennifer Mascia
Three Decades After the Brady Bill, Some Gun Buyers Still Don’t Undergo Background Checks

Background Checks

Three Decades After the Brady Bill, Some Gun Buyers Still Don’t Undergo Background Checks

Congress has made dozens of attempts to narrow the so-called gun show loophole since establishing the background check system. Most of those efforts have failed.

Jennifer Mascia
The Osteen Church Shooter Doesn’t Fit a Neat Profile

Mass Shooting

The Osteen Church Shooter Doesn’t Fit a Neat Profile

Some characteristics of the February 11 shooting at the Houston megachurch set it apart, while others highlight gaps that have allowed several shooters to acquire guns.

Jennifer Mascia
Test Your Knowledge of U.S. Gun Laws

Law

Test Your Knowledge of U.S. Gun Laws

How much do you know about background checks? Concealed carry? Take our 12-question quiz to find out.

Chip Brownlee and Jennifer Mascia
Former NRA President Testifies Wayne LaPierre Told Him to ‘Stay in Your Lane’

Bulletin

Former NRA President Testifies Wayne LaPierre Told Him to ‘Stay in Your Lane’

That’s what the NRA told trauma surgeons who were pushing for tighter gun regulations in 2018.

Jennifer Mascia
The Gun Measures Voters Want on Their State Ballots

Elections

The Gun Measures Voters Want on Their State Ballots

With gun reforms stalled in Congress, several states are looking to tighten their gun laws through ballot initiatives this November.

Jennifer Mascia
A Pro-Gun Elections Official Is Rewriting Missouri Ballot Initiatives

Elections

A Pro-Gun Elections Official Is Rewriting Missouri Ballot Initiatives

The secretary of state, Jay Ashcroft, has presented many of this year’s gun reform initiatives as a threat to Second Amendment rights. His wording could sway voters.

Jennifer Mascia
Bulletin

Guns Allowed in New York Houses of Worship, For Now

A ban on guns in the state's religious sanctuaries was blocked by a federal court earlier this month.

Jennifer Mascia
After Federal Court Decision, New York’s Religious Leaders Face a Thorny Gun Problem

Concealed Carry

After Federal Court Decision, New York’s Religious Leaders Face a Thorny Gun Problem

Places of worship must now choose whether to let congregants carry firearms while attending services. The change comes amid an increase in bias incidents motivated by the Israel-Hamas war.

Jennifer Mascia
Israel-Hamas War Feeds a Rise in Bigotry-Fueled Gun Crime in the U.S.

Extremism

Israel-Hamas War Feeds a Rise in Bigotry-Fueled Gun Crime in the U.S.

Armed hate crimes, down since the Trump years, have increased since the conflict erupted in October.

Jennifer Mascia
After an Emergency Mental Health Hospitalization, Few States Block Gun Purchases

Mental Health

After an Emergency Mental Health Hospitalization, Few States Block Gun Purchases

October’s mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, was one of more than a dozen high-profile attacks carried out by people who retained their gun rights after hospitalization during a mental health crisis.

Jennifer Mascia and Chip Brownlee