Sean Campbell

Sean was an investigative fellow at The Trace.

She Thought She’d Shot a Burglar. Then She Realized It Was Her Roommate.

The Drumbeat

She Thought She’d Shot a Burglar. Then She Realized It Was Her Roommate.

Nearly 50 times since 2015, American gun owners have fired at friends, family members, and emergency responders they mistook for intruders. This is the story of one self-defense shooting gone horribly wrong.

Albert Samaha and Sean Campbell
On Twitter, Teachers Trade DIY Tips on Protecting Their Students Against Mass Shooters

The Aftermath

On Twitter, Teachers Trade DIY Tips on Protecting Their Students Against Mass Shooters

Ian Pearce is a high school teacher in Arlington, Texas. Whenever a school shooting makes national headlines, he and his wife have a difficult conversation: If a gunman ever breaches one of Pearce’s classrooms, his wife has given him permission…

Sean Campbell
The ATF Received 36,000 Comments on Bump Stocks. They’re Overwhelmingly Anti-Regulation.

ATF

The ATF Received 36,000 Comments on Bump Stocks. They’re Overwhelmingly Anti-Regulation.

In the week following the Las Vegas massacre on October 1, polls showed that nearly 75 percent of registered voters in gun-owning households supported a ban on bump stocks. Yet despite the public sentiment, an analysis by The…

Daniel Nass and Sean Campbell
This Portable Sensor Will Watch Over Your Guns While You’re Away

Gun Safety

This Portable Sensor Will Watch Over Your Guns While You’re Away

Simtek, a new security-technology company based in Mountain View, California, recently launched a funding campaign for a compact security sensor called Duo that it says might just be able to reduce accidental child shootings. The sensor is a…

Sean Campbell
After the Kentucky School Shooting, a Look at How Kids Get Guns

Mass Shooting

After the Kentucky School Shooting, a Look at How Kids Get Guns

On Tuesday morning, Heather Adams was one of the dozens of frantic parents who rushed to Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, after news broke that a shooter had opened fire just minutes before classes began. As…

Sean Campbell
At the World Series of Competitive Shooting, Politics Are (Mostly) Left at the Gate

Culture

At the World Series of Competitive Shooting, Politics Are (Mostly) Left at the Gate

The Civilian Marksmanship Program's signature event is a haven for self-described ‘gun nerds.‘

Sean Campbell
U.S. Capitol Police Undergo Extensive Active-Shooter Training

Law Enforcement

U.S. Capitol Police Undergo Extensive Active-Shooter Training

"You’re prepared for any situation that comes up."

Sean Campbell and Brian Freskos