Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Research shows that only 11% of Chicago gun offenders acquire firearms from a gun store – which suggests that interrupting the underground gun market could reduce gun violence. To effectively identify strategies to target this market, we conducted 200 interviews with offenders in Illinois prisons to learn more about how illegal guns make their way from gun stores into the hands of gang members and others who are likely to use them in crimes on our city streets. Findings from these interviews will highlight opportunities for community or policing interventions to reduce the flow of guns into and within this secondary market.