Firearms are the most accessible and lethal tool people use to kill others. In Minneapolis last year, 30 of the city's 40 homicides were committed with a firearm. Law enforcement officials say a majority of people locked up for committing felony level gun crimes were felons forbidden by law to possess firearms. In a four-part series, MPR News examines several factors behind gun crime in Minneapolis including where the guns come from, gun offenders, the victims and the federal rules behind tracking the guns.
In 2010, there were 90 reported violent gun crimes in Minneapolis. Thirty of the 40 homicides in the city were shootings.
This map shows where police responded. Not all police calls resulted in arrests. In some cases, charges were either dropped or reduced from felony to gross misdemeanor charges.
Note: To protect the innocent, names and addresses have been redacted where necessary.
Family members of slain teen Anthony Titus talk about dealing with loss caused by gun violence.
Reporters: Brandt Williams, Laura Yuen
Radio editor: Laura McCallum
Web editor: David Cazares
Web producers: Steve Mullis, Than Tibbetts
Photography/Video: Jeffrey Thompson
Read more about the project.
MPR's investigation of gun violence is funded by grants from the Joyce Foundation and the David Bohnett Foundation, administered through the John Jay College Center on Media, Crime and Justice.
In part one, we look at how guns make it to Minneapolis streets. Most of the firearms used in Minneapolis gun crimes are obtained illegally. The people who use those guns steal them from homes or gun stores, or they buy them illegally. Read more »
In part two, we talk to a gun offender now serving time, and explain what law enforcement officials are doing to try to reduce gun violence and keep guns out of the hands of convicted felons. Read more »
Part three looks at how the gun war is affecting the area's African-American community, including the family of one innocent victim, teenager Anthony Titus. Read more »
In part four, we travel to the nation's capitol to examine how gun trace data has become the center of a political fight. Read more »
Reporter Brandt Williams spent four-months investigating and searching hundreds of records for this series. Along the way, he kept a notebook of his reporting and the difficulties he encountered during his investigation. Read more »
A commentary from former Rep. Todd Tiahrt, whose series of appropriations riders, known as the Tiahrt Amendment, has restricted the uses of ATF funding since 2003. Read more »
Share your experiences with guns in Minneapolis with our Public Insight Network. Read more »
Want to listen to the full series on the go? Right-click this link and save the MP3 to listen to the full Midday broadcast of all four stories on your personal audio device. The audio also includes additional interviews and an interview with reporter Brandt Williams.
