Annual Report: Change The Industry

But these weapons didn’t just appear from nowhere. They were sold as kits, many without requiring an ID or background check, and many from one gun dealer in particular: Hanover Armory. Representing the City of Baltimore, Brady took Hanover to court, arguing that their negligence increased violent crime in the city. And we won.

This was the first time in a decade the gun industry stood trial in a court of law. Not only were we successful, but the jury awarded the City $62 million in damages — double what Baltimore requested as a minimum and the largest verdict against a g“un company in American history.

The impact of this case — and our related case against ghost gun manufacturer Polymer80 that resulted in a $1.2 million payment to victims and required Polymer80 to stop selling its ghost gun kits in Maryland — will make Baltimore neighborhoods safer for generations to come. Already, since these cases were brought, Baltimore has had a 25% decrease in ghost guns recovered in crimes. And the money granted through the historic Hanover verdict will be distributed to community groups that interrupt cycles of violence. This isn’t just justice in the courtroom, it’s justice on the streets, where communities are desperate to live free from gun violence.

The significance and impact of this verdict go well beyond gun dealers, well beyond ghost guns, and well beyond Baltimore. It will allow our fellow Americans to live in neighborhoods that give them new opportunities to live and to thrive.

_______________________________________________________________________________

"Irresponsible companies like this one, that ignore the law in pursuit of profit, have no business operating in Baltimore — or anywhere, for that matter. We are making it clear: anyone — any company — who enables violence in our city will be held accountable." — Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott

HOLDING THE GUN INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABLE IN THE ABSENCE OF GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT

America’s gun violence epidemic is fueled, in part, by the gun industry, which profits from flooding our streets with firearms. Under the Biden administration, Brady helped secure major reforms to shut down problematic dealers, leading to the lowest crime rate in 50 years. But the Trump administration is rolling back these efforts and hoping Americans won’t notice.

In just his first six months in office, President Trump has or has sought to:

• Gut two-thirds of staff who inspect gun stores, making oversight virtually impossible
• Divert resources and personnel from gun industry oversight to immigration enforcement
• Slash upwards of 50 life-saving firearms rules and restrictions
• Eliminate long-standing programs to crack down on gun dealers linked to the most crimes
• Invite negligent dealers that had their licenses revoked to get back into business

As the Trump administration rolls back gun industry oversight and hides records on lawbreaking gun stores, we’re fighting back. This past year, Brady:

• Updated hundreds of gun store inspection records in our Gun Store Transparency Project (gunstoretransparency.org), the largest database of gun store inspection reports ever released to the public.
• Exposed the latest data on gun dealers that sell the most guns linked to crime, holding them accountable even when the government won’t.
• Relaunched our “Gun Dealer Code of Conduct,” detailing responsible business practices that minimize the risk that firearms will be used in crime. In the absence of strong federal policy, gun sellers and policymakers alike can use this tool to set the standard for a safer industry.

All of these efforts ensure the American public has access to information that the Trump administration wants to keep secret so they can continue denying a need for action and gun industry oversight without facing scrutiny. We will all be safer because Brady has the expertise needed to uncover records of gun industry negligence and unlawful practices and make those records public so that action can be taken.

_______________________________________________________________________________

"Every other industry faces oversight – from food, to cars, to airplanes. Basic enforcement of the laws governing the gun industry means less gun violence. It’s that simple." - Josh Scharff, Brady General Counsel & Senior Director of Programs 

This simple question empowers local community members, survivors, and policymakers to address one of the root causes of “everyday” gun violence: gun dealers violating the law to funnel firearms into communities and profit from that harm. We pull back the curtain on how illegal guns make their way into cities facing high rates of gun violence, leveraging data obtained and analyzed by Brady.

To date, we have trained hundreds of local leaders, violence interrupters, and officials on how to push for and implement tangible solutions to complement local community-led violence prevention strategies. These solutions focus on policy reforms, identifying problematic gun dealers, and adopting strategies for gun industry accountability.

Decreasing the supply of guns into impacted communities is a critical and underutilized strategy to address cycles of violence.