IntelBrief: Attempting to Understand the Unique American Epidemic of Gun Violence

Bottom Line Up Front

• On January 21, two NYPD officers were shot and killed in Harlem while responding to a call with a gun stolen in Maryland.
• There have been myriad factors contributing to the rise in gun-related violent crime in some American cities over the last two years, from so-called “pandemic stress.”
• The high volume of guns on American streets is directly related to years of record gun sales and an environment with minimal if any regulation or oversight.
• Guns used in New York City crimes often come via the “Iron Pipeline,” the I-95 highway that links states with limited restrictions on firearms with states in which it is more difficult to purchase such weapons.