The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) highlights Arizona as a critical source of firearms used in crimes across the U.S. and internationally. Notably, firearms traced back to Arizona were involved in two recent school shootings, raising alarms about the state’s role in the proliferation of illegal weapons.
According to the ATF’s National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment, there has been a staggering 1,600 percent increase in privately made firearms (ghost guns) recovered at crime scenes from 2017 to 2023. With around 19,000 crime guns traced to Arizona in 2024, the agency emphasizes the urgent need for policy reforms, including enhanced background checks, to curb the alarming trend of firearm trafficking that extends even into Mexico.
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