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Baltimore Sues A.T.F. Over Access to Gun Data

12.20.2023

Baltimore, MD (New York Times) — The City of Baltimore is suing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for blocking access to data on guns used to commit crimes — information it said was essential for targeting gun violence and identifying sellers who flood the city with weapons.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday, the city’s lawyers argued that the A.T.F. had adopted an overly narrow interpretation of legislation enacted in 2003 by congressional Republicans, at the urging of the National Rifle Association. The law blocked public access to gun trace data collected by the federal government on weapons recovered at the nation’s crime scenes.

More information regarding the specifics of this case can be found here.