No more than 2022 was our country’s relationship with gun violence at a precipice. It was a year with historic legislative wins and devastating losses of life. We saw legal shifts that could save more lives and epic failures from our country’s leadership.

But through it all, we persevered.

You joined Brady in taking action, not sides, to demand a safer future for all Americans. And thanks to your support and tireless advocacy, we made historic strides across Congress, the courts, and our communities to end America’s raging gun violence epidemic.

Please join us as we reflect on Brady and Team ENOUGH’s 2022 top accomplishments in the movement to end gun violence.

Uvalde. Buffalo. Highland Park.

These senseless tragedies, which claimed the lives of 38 people, including children, enraged Americans and created a groundswell of support for gun violence prevention. Seizing this momentum, we united our partners, including March for Our Lives, the American Federation of Teachers, This Is Our Lane, and more, on Capitol Hill to showcase the impact of gun violence — and demand Senate action.

And while we continue to fight for universal background checks, the U.S. Senate heard our cries and passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law: The most significant gun violence prevention legislation since Jim and Sarah Brady passed the Brady bill nearly 30 years ago.

Just like the Brady Bill has done for decades, the Bipartisan Safer Community Act will save lives, investing millions in community violence intervention, funding the implementation of state-based extreme risk laws, and mandating enhanced background checks for individuals under the age of 21.

And though much work remains to strengthen our nation’s gun laws, we are also proud to have helped pass a bill to expand Brady Background Checks and ban assault weapons in the U.S. House, secure the first permanent director of the ATF in six years, and get President Biden’s rule to regulate ‘ghost guns’ over the finish line. In 2023, in the name of Jim and Sarah Brady, we will build on these victories and continue to find common ground in common-sense solutions.

Brady Legal is the longest-standing public interest law group fighting for victims and survivors of gun violence in America — and 2022 was our most active year yet. In states across the country, we filed numerous new cases to hold the gun industry accountable, defend our nation’s gun laws, and make America a place where no one lives with the fear of being shot and killed.

All of these victories in the courts reaffirm what Brady Legal has championed since the 1980s: Even if Congress grinds to a halt, we can make real, life-saving progress in the courts to address this epidemic.

In 2022, it felt like there was a mass shooting every day. Paired with everyday gun violence and a devastating Supreme Court ruling that has the potential to flood our communities with more firearms, we saw a groundswell of support for gun violence prevention in states across the country. With momentum on our side, Brady and Team ENOUGH’s efforts in statehouses across the country resulted in the recent passage of more than 35 life-saving gun violence prevention laws — the most in Brady’s history.

These state and local victories serve as both a national model for other communities to follow and as a reminder that, even in the absence of federal action, we can make significant progress in our communities.

Brady’s online store is a one-stop shop for Brady and Team ENOUGH merchandise and apparel. And with the holiday season among us, NOW is the perfect time for you to buy a gift for your friends, family, and loved ones. From t-shirts, hoodies, travel mugs, and more, visit our online store to shop and show the world that you care about ending gun violence.

When Americans think of gun violence, they immediately think about gun homicides or mass shootings. But America’s deadliest shootings are the ones we rarely talk about: Over half of all gun deaths are suicides. Unintentional shootings, suicide, and intentional shootings are all forms of family fire, which refers to a shooting caused by someone having access to a gun from the home when they shouldn’t have it. This includes children as well as those who display behavior that indicates they could harm themselves or others. Family fire is preventable.

It’s why, this year, we launched End Family Fire (EFF) Missouri — a two-year campaign in partnership with the Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) and the Ad Council to raise awareness about unsecured firearms in the home. In a coordinated effort, we launched this campaign to reach Missourians through a variety of mediums, including digital PSA, billboards, and posters across the state. Our ads have reached thousands, spreading the importance of safe gun storage, which means storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.

We are so proud of the work we accomplished with MFH and the Ad Council in 2022. We know it will take all of us — gun owners and non-gun owners alike — to end family fire, and thanks to our efforts, more states have a blueprint to follow in their state.

This year, Brady’s Combating Crime Guns Initiative launched the Gun Store Transparency Project. Our interactive map displays the largest database of ATF gun store inspection reports ever released to the public. It exposes gun stores cited for breaking the law, including whether federal authorities are failing to hold them accountable.

Brady fought for years to obtain this data, which was shielded by special gun industry protections. But now, the Gun Store Transparency project will help ensure the American public is no longer kept in the dark about businesses that contribute to gun violence in their communities. The Gun Store Transparency Project builds on our jaw-dropping, years-long investigation into the ATF, which revealed that even when gun dealers knowingly break the law, they are rarely held accountable.

But with this vitally important resource, advocates, policymakers, and researchers alike can use this data to make our communities safer. Please learn more now: Simply enter a zip code and find gun stores that have been cited for violations in your community and across the country.

Over the summer, Team ENOUGH, our youth-led initiative, welcomed eight new leaders to its Executive Council. Founded in the wake of the Parkland shooting, Team ENOUGH empowers and mobilizes youth to end America’s gun violence epidemic. This was by far the most competitive year as dozens of students applied to join the governing body of Team ENOUGH.

We are delighted to welcome Riley Reed, Maria Telleria, Lea Nepomuceno, Catherine Tiddy, Mia Tretta, Olivia Shull, and Christopher Zoeller to Team ENOUGH.

Members of the Executive Council have impressive backgrounds in organizing, policymaking, and lobbying. More than two-thirds of the Executive Council are people of color, LGBTQ, and from diverse faith backgrounds. These youth leaders, many of whom are also gun violence survivors, will help ensure an inclusive youth-led movement that addresses all forms of gun violence — not just mass shootings that capture national attention. Please join us in learning more about the new members of the Team ENOUGH Executive Council — the leaders of the generation that will end gun violence!

Brady’s podcast, “Red, Blue, and Brady,” won gold for the Shorty Award’s best podcast! Our podcast is the first podcast devoted solely to gun violence prevention and racial justice — and now, the only one to win a Shorty Award in the gun violence prevention movement.

With over 40,000 Americans dying of gun violence each year, we created Red, Blue, and Brady in 2019 to raise awareness about this pressing public health crisis. Each week, hosts JJ Janflone and Kelly Sampson convene survivors, academics, gun owners, and lawmakers to discuss sensible solutions to this epidemic, and what listeners can do to effect change and make our country safer.

Gun violence prevention was on the ballot in 2022. And in what was the most consequential Midterm Election in the past decade, we were determined to prepare Americans to get out the vote for gun violence prevention champions in local, state, and federal races. And so, in the weeks leading up to the midterms, Brady and Team ENOUGH activists mailed over 10,000 postcards to voters, encouraging them to vote for gun violence prevention champions.

But we didn’t stop there. We knew the youth vote would be crucial in electing candidates who support gun violence prevention. So, just two days before the Midterm Elections, Team ENOUGH, our youth-led initiative, hit the roads with Brady for a Florida Bus Tour with Maxwell Frost, the first Gen Z candidate elected to Congress, and our partners at Change the Ref to engage students on our issue and help get out the vote.

Brady, Team ENOUGH, and activists like you helped maintain our gun safety majority in the U.S. Senate, and we also welcomed new gun violence prevention champions to the U.S. House, like Maxwell Frost, a former leader at March For Our Lives and a strong advocate for gun violence prevention.

The Midterm Elections reaffirmed that young people have had ENOUGH of gun violence — and if lawmakers refuse to act, they will vote them out of office. As we begin preparing for the 2024 election, Brady and Team ENOUGH look forward to engaging more youth on our issue.

Brady has long viewed gun violence as a public health issue — and over the years, we’ve made real progress in tackling it. But there’s a group that understands this public health crisis better than anyone else — and that’s medical professionals.

Trauma surgeons, emergency medicine doctors, pediatricians, and more bear witness to the impact of gun violence and trauma first-hand. They are on the front lines of our nation’s gun violence epidemic and often have to deliver the worst news a family will ever hear: your loved one isn’t coming home.

Tackling this complex public health crisis requires a number of solutions — and one of the most important is banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. That’s why, in the final days of 2022, we spearheaded an open letter with medical professionals from across the country demanding the U.S. Senate ban assault weapons before the end of the 2022 session.

We convened medical professionals to speak out because they understand the lethality of these weapons. Medical professionals witness the impact of gun violence each day — so that means that must have a say in solutions to our nation’s gun violence epidemic. And while the Senate has yet to ban these weapons of war, we’re proud to have had over 150 medical professionals sign on to our open letter demanding they take action. In 2023, we look forward to furthering our public health and physician work through a new partnership with @ThisIsOurLane and Johns Hopkins Trauma Surgeon and Brady Board Member Dr. Joseph Sakran.