James V. Grimaldi [email protected] .

James V. Grimaldiwww.washingtonpost.com/guns

www.facebook.com/[email protected]

Eight days in October, November and Decemberwww.washingtonpost.com/guns

THE TEAM

Four Washington Post Investigative Reporters and Two Researchers

Editor

Photographer + Videographer

Web project manager

Digital journalists: cartographer, graphic designer, database developer

Media Elements

• Print stories and photos

• Web stories and photo galleries

• Web videos – seven segments produced

• Interactive graphics

• Database of gun dealers

Goal of the Project: Break the Secrecy

U.S. Congress eight years ago exempts from the Freedom of Information Act a database that traced guns used in crimes back to dealers.

Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), primary sponsor of provision

The Blackout

• The Tiahrt Amendment silenced media investigations into gun stores, firearms trafficking and crime trends

• Assignment from our editor Jeff Leen:

Break the secrecy

How We Broke the Secrecy

• Compiled a list of 511 police officers killed by firearms and traced 30 cop-killer weapons.

• Obtained lists of the top 12 gun dealers in the past two years who have sold the most weapons traced from Mexican crime scenes

The Work: Research Areas

* How do criminals get guns?

* How do cop killers get guns?

* Gun trafficking in the United States and to Mexico

* The ATF, NRA & the politics of guns

PG Firearms Examination logs

• After seizing guns, police test fire, analyze and log data • FOIA’d unpublicized databases from DC and PG Firearms Exams Units.

First Breakthrough: Prince George’s Data

Realco: Where DC crooks go to buy guns- 2,500 guns traced to Realco

- The next biggest, active dealer had 600.

How Day One Appeared in

Print

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/index.html

VIDEO STORY TELLINGThe life of a crime gun

Trafficking to Mexico

• 30,000 deaths in Mexican drug wars

• 9 of 10 guns from U.S. stores – ATF

Multimedia Storytelling

• Post reporter video training in early 2000s

• Trip planned to Houston for Mexico story

• Interview with wife of slain police officer

• Federal official won’t go on camera (audio only)

• Obtained jailhouse interview through Texas public records request

Video from Texas • Focus on Carter’s Country gun stores in Houston• Obtained suspect confession in cop killing • Interviewed wife of police officer

Under public records request, we obtained the video of his confession to police http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/arming-mexicos-drug-cartels/?sid=ST2010121203267

List of Dealers Most Guns Found at Mexican Crime Scenes

The National List

National Rifle Association Lobbying

The NRA in two decades spent more than $100 million on political activities, ¾ donations, ¼ lobbying .

PRINT GRAPHIC: Lobbying influence

Lobbying reports, campaign contributions

INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: NRA Donations Endorsements

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/nra-endorsements-campaign-spending/

Interactive Idea Copied from Tea Party Endorsement Graphic

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/tea-party-endorsement-results/

What Interactive Shows

• Amount of money donated by National Rifle Association to every U.S. politician

• The politician’s NRA rating (A, B, C, F)

• Who the NRA endorsed

• Whether the candidate won or lost (Red for Republican; Blue for Democrat)