In the 1930s, Hyman Lehman “was the arms don of the underworld.” A saddle maker by day, Lehman was very skilled at modifying firearms, crime writer Ron Franscell told The Trace’s Alain Stephens last year, and he garnered a clientele list that reads like a who’s-who of ruthless Prohibition-era gangsters. His weapons found their way to Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Lehman’s specialty was modifying pistols into automatic weapons — and though Lehman wasn’t doing anything illegal at the time, actions like his helped spur the federal government to pass the National Firearms Act, which taxed and regulated machine guns.

But 90 years after the NFA’s enactment, the rise of cheap automatic conversion devices like “switches” has effectively brought machine guns back — and this time around, they don’t require the skill Lehman had to install. Among the most common weapons modified with these devices are Glock pistols, because of an internal design that makes its parts easy to access and modify.

Over the past decade, Glocks outfitted with switches have increasingly turned up at crime scenes. The company has said that it can’t change its pistols to make them more difficult to modify. But The Trace’s Champe Barton spoke with legislators, former Glock employees, and firearms experts — including the inventor of the switch — who all said the gunmaker has several possible solutions. One of the biggest roadblocks? The gunmaker’s bottom line.

From The Trace

What to Know Today

In the wake of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, gun violence researchers are concerned about further political violence this election season. But there’s reason for hope, per Dr. ​​Garen Wintemute, founder of UC Davis’s Violence Prevention Research Program, which conducted a large survey of Americans’ attitudes on political violence that’s set to be released this fall. “Large-scale violence is really unlikely,” Wintemute said. “Most of us, most of the time, and some of us, all of the time, do not think that violence is how we solve problems in this country.” [Vox] 

Toronto ranks among the safest cities in the world — but a turf war between rival tow-truck gangs has fueled a 50 percent rise in shootings there, putting residents on edge. Authorities blame a wave of gun smuggling from the U.S. for the violence. [The Wall Street Journal] 

A new study indicates that gun-free zones do not attract active shooters and may reduce the risk of mass shootings. The findings contradict claims that gun-free zones are more vulnerable to violent crimes. [The Lancet Regional Health Americas] 

One person was killed and four others were wounded in a shooting at New York City’s West Indian American Day Parade, an annual celebration of the city’s large Caribbean community. Police described the shooting as “an intentional act by one person towards a group of people.” [Associated Press/The New York Times] 

After a spate of shootings on Oahu’s Westside, the Honolulu Police Department appears to have followed through on a pledge to deploy more officers to patrol the area, where residents have long felt neglected by the city. Some officials and community members say the increased law enforcement presence is a good start, but they’d like to see plans to prevent gun violence in the long term. [Honolulu Civil Beat] 

It’s been nearly a year since Abnerd Joseph, a beloved high school assistant principal, was shot and killed by a fellow resident of his Chicago condominium while Joseph was experiencing a mental health crisis. His family wants to know why the man who shot him still hasn’t been charged. [MindSite News] 

Families of people killed or injured in the mass shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas, last year are suing Simon Property Group, the mall’s parent company, alleging that it knew the risk of violence at open-air facilities but did not put adequate safety measures in place, and that it failed to assist law enforcement during the shooting. The lawsuit also names Allied Universal Security Services, the company hired to provide security services, claiming that it didn’t adequately staff the complex. [The Dallas Morning News] 

Pennsylvania’s most populous cities — Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — are waiting for the state Supreme Court to issue a decision concerning its preemption law, which bars local governments from creating gun laws stricter than the state’s. It could be months or years before the court rules on the case. [Spotlight PA]

Data Point

24 percent — the drop in fatal shootings in Brooklyn, New York, between June and August compared to the same period last year. [Gothamist]

Non Sequitur

One of the Last Growers of Pecos Cantaloupe Presses On: “As far back as I can remember, Pecos cantaloupe was a family affair.” [Texas Monthly]

Sunny Sone
Sunny is in charge of our newsletters, leading the growth of existing products and dreaming up new ones. They previously worked as a copy editor at The Intercept and as digital editor for the Texas Observer, and co-published a web-only magazine under the Brick House media cooperative. Sunny has covered topics ranging from the Texas funeral industry to the life of visionary composer Pauline Oliveros. They hold a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin.