“Paul Cassel and Richard Fowles of the University of Utah analyzed the dramatic surge in Chicago homicides in 2016. Homicides went from 480 in 2015 to 754 in 2016 — a stunning event. “They asked why. They considered numerous p
Publication: guns
Washington Post→ Do 98 percent of mass public shootings happen in gun-free zones?
“98 percent of mass public shootings in the United States since 1950 have taken place in gun-free zones.” — President Trump, speaking to the National Rifle Association, May 4,2018 President Trump is prone to using bombastic st
Snopes→ Did Colorado Democrats Pass a ‘Gun Confiscation’ Bill?
H.B. 1436 would allow for gun confiscation, but only under very narrow circumstances and as a measure to prevent suicides and mass shootings.
Truth or Fiction?→ Pope Francis Says Gun Owners Can’t Call Themselves Christians-Mostly Fiction!
Pope Francis Gun Owners Aren’t Christian, Calls to Ban All Weapons-Misleading! Summary of eRumor: Pope Francis said that gun owners and those who support gun rights can’t call themselves Christian anymore and are hypocrites. Pope Francis al
Snopes→ Did Pope Francis Say Gun Owners ‘Can’t Call Themselves Christians Anymore’?
A notorious fake news web site wrenches the Pope's remarks out of context to create yet another sensationalist, misleading story.
Snopes→ Was a Weapon Advertised For Its Ability to Fit in a Backpack?
A photograph of a gun displayed in a clear plastic backpack is real.
Snopes→ Did Maryland ‘Deplorables’ Erect a Billboard Warning About Attempts to Impeach Donald Trump?
A viral photograph shows a real roadside sign near Huntingtown in Calvert County which warns "liberals" to arm themselves.
Snopes→ Is This Sign at the United States-Mexico Border Real?
An image purportedly showing a U.S. border sign saying "lots of free stuff ahead" is — you guessed it — nothing more than a poorly-done digital edit.
Snopes→ Were Two New Jersey High School Students Suspended for Going to a Gun Range After School?
Reports that two seniors were suspended over a social media post caused a wave of controversy.
Snopes→ ‘I’m Not Going To Be a Gabby Giffords’ Says S.C. Rep. Who Drew Gun at Constituent Meeting
Representative Ralph Norman drew his firearm during a discussion about gun control in an effort to illustrate that people, not guns, cause deaths.
Snopes→ Would a California Bill Stop Police From Shooting People Carrying ‘Imitation Weapons’?
According to blogs, Assembly Bill 931 would put police at risk of being second-guessed.
Truth or Fiction?→ Chicago Suburb Approves Ordinance Banning Semi-Automatic Weapons-Truth!
Chicago Suburb Approves Ordinance Banning Assault Weapons-Truth! Summary of eRumor: The Village of Deerfield, Illinois, has approved an ordinance banning the possession of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The Truth: The Deerfield Village Bo
Snopes→ Did an Illinois Suburb Enact a Ban on Assault Weapons?
The ban was passed unanimously in Deerfield in April 2018.
Truth or Fiction?→ Emma Gonzalez Admits to Bully Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz-Fiction!
Emma Gonzalez Admits to Bully Parkland Shooter Nikolas Cruz-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, admitted to bullying shooter Nikolas Cruz. The Truth: T
Truth or Fiction?→ David Hogg Was At Home During Parkland School Shooting-Fiction!
David Hogg Was At Home During Parkland School Shooting-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Rumors that David Hogg was at home at the time of the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School circulated after Hogg became an outspoken advocate
Snopes→ Was the NRA Founded to Protect Black People from the Ku Klux Klan?
Revisionist accounts of the origin of the National Rifle Association say it was formed to help freed slaves defend themselves against racist attacks after the Civil War.
Truth or Fiction?→ Prayer Requests for Jimmy Coyne’s Grandson, High School Student Beaten Over School Walkout-Unproven!
Prayer Requests for Jimmy Coyne’s Grandson, High School Student Beaten Over School Walkout-Disputed! Summary of eRumor: Social meda was flooded with prayer requests for Jimmy Coyne’s grandson, a teenager from Oklahoma who was reportedly bea
Truth or Fiction?→ Janet Reno: Waiting Period for Firearms Only the First Step, Prohibition the Goal-Fiction!
Janet Reno: Waiting Period for Firearms Only the First Step, Prohibition the Goal-Mostly Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said that a waiting period for firearms purchases was only the first step, and total prohi
Snopes→ Arkansas Teen Confirms Mother’s Account of School ‘Paddling’ After Gun Protest
Wylie Greer said he and two other students received "swats" after taking part in the National School Walkout to call for more stringent gun safety laws.
Snopes→ Did a Firearms-Trained Teacher Accidentally Discharge a Gun in a Classroom, Injuring a Student?
The accidental handgun firing in California was one of two such incidents at schools in the United States one day before scheduled student walkouts across the nation to protest gun violence.
Snopes→ Did a High School Principal Target a Pro-Gun Rights Student During a Protest for Gun Control?
New Prague High School in Minnesota says a pro-gun rights placard was removed from a protest because it violated policy, not for political reasons.
Snopes→ Prosecuting More Who Lie to Buy Guns Could Strain Resources
A Trump administration plan to crack down on people who lie to buy guns faces a giant hurdle, relying on federal agents and prosecutors who are already overwhelmed with other responsibilities.
Truth or Fiction?→ Virginia Social Worker Storm Durham Fired for Having Concealed Carry Permit-Unproven!
Virginia Social Worker Storm Durham Fired for Having Concealed Carry Permit-Unproven! Summary of eRumor: A social worker from Roanoke, Virginia, named Storm Durham was fired for having a concealed carry permit. The Truth: Storm Durham claimed in a vira
Snopes→ 1968 Los Angeles School Walkout Protesters See Link to Parkland Teens
Parkland students have held rallies, confronted elected officials and are promising to mobilize eligible youth to register to vote in an effort to push lawmakers for tougher gun-control laws.
Snopes→ Was Ellen DeGeneres Surrounded by Armed Guards at an Anti-Gun Rally?
An image showing the comedian and television host next to a possibly armed guard is real, but the photograph was not taken at an anti-gun rally.
Truth or Fiction?→ 72 People Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation by National Guard in Boston-Fiction!
72 People Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation by National Guard in Boston-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: A group of paramilitary extremists attacked the National Guard while it attempted to confiscate guns in Boston, leaving 72 dead and hundreds injur
Snopes→ Did Seattle Police Confiscate a Man’s Guns Without a Warrant?
Dubious right-wing blogs misrepresented an encounter prompted by Washington state's "red flag" law.
Snopes→ Was Ex-California State Senator and Gun Control Advocate Leland Yee Arrested for Gun Trafficking?
Yee pleaded guilty to arms trafficking in 2016.
Snopes→ Did Rhode Island’s Governor Sign an Executive Order to Seize Guns?
Web sites mischaracterized the governor's order instructing state police to disarm individuals demonstrably at risk for violence.
Snopes→ Does President Donald Trump Plan to End School Shootings — By Banning Schools?
An article appearing to report that the president has an unorthodox idea for ending mass shootings at schools appeared on a page that only publishes satire.
Snopes→ Trump Says Some Lawmakers Too Fearful of NRA to Act on Guns
Trump held a freewheeling, televised meeting with lawmakers, rejecting his party's incremental approach and strategy that has stalled on gun legislation.
Snopes→ Does Chuck Schumer Have an Unrestricted Concealed Carry Permit?
The claim that the Senate Minority Leader has a concealed weapons permit is based on one single unsourced article.
Snopes→ Does Marco Rubio Want to Give Felons Right to Own Guns, But Not to Vote?
Two fake quotes ostensibly uttered by the Florida senator resurfaced in the aftermath of the February 2018 mass school shooting in his state.
Truth or Fiction?→ California Law Bans Teachers from Shooting Back at Gunmen-Truth! & Fiction!
California Law Bans Teachers from Shooting Back at School Shooters-Truth! & Fiction! Summary of eRumor: Following the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, rumors surfaced that California Governor Jerr
Snopes→ Did California Governor Ban Teachers from Shooting Back at School Shooters?
Several web sites mischaracterized an October 2017 California law preventing school personnel from carrying guns on campus.
Washington Post→ The NRA’s flip-flop on federal mandates for states in gun background checks
“Do you know that it is not federally required for states to actually report people who are prohibited possessors, crazy people, people who are murderers? … It is not federal law for states to report convictions to the NICS system. It&#
Snopes→ Did the NRA Support a 1967 ‘Open Carry’ Ban in California?
A law barring the open carry of loaded firearms was passed in 1967 with the support of the National Rifle Association, after armed Black Panthers "invaded" the California state capitol earlier that year.
Truth or Fiction?→ Military Plans to Confiscate Privately-Owned Guns From Americans-Fiction!
Military Plans to Confiscate Guns From Private American Citizens-Fiction! Summary of eRumor: The White House has issued formal directives for the military to confiscate guns from private owners from November 7th to December 23rd. The Truth: Outdated (a
Snopes→ Is the NRA a Tax-Exempt Nonprofit Organization?
A Facebook meme gets the basic facts right about the gun lobby's status as a social welfare organization.
Snopes→ Florida Governor: Ban Gun Sales to Underage and Mentally Ill
The proposal comes as part of a plan to prevent gun violence on the heels of a mass shooting at a south Florida high school that killed seventeen people.