How Weak Gun Laws in One State Can Fuel Violence in Another

On Sunday, May 4, 2025, the Department of Justice confirmed that an exhibit honoring victims of gun violence was taken down at the headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The exhibit, called “Faces of Gun Violence,” showed 120 photographs of victims on a rotating basis. The victims included Americans who had been killed by gun violence, including police officers killed in the line of duty, children killed during school shootings, and other victims of gun violence. The online memorial was also removed.

Former ATF Director Steven Dettelbach had said in a statement when the memorial was dedicated in 2024, “The ‘Faces of Gun Violence’ exhibit is a permanent reminder of what ATF comes to work to do every day — a reminder of why agents risk their lives and why everyone at ATF dedicates their careers to this mission: to honor the fallen and protect the living.”

As political tensions grow over gun violence in America, the removal of the memorial highlights the deep divide between gun rights advocates and supporters of gun violence victims. Gun laws within the country are also deeply divided, as firearm regulations are mainly set at the state level, rather than the federal level. Because gun control laws in the U.S. are set at state and local levels, there are varying gun laws depending on where you are in the country. Data from federal firearm tracing revealed that 408,000 firearms sold in the country were linked to a crime in 2023. Although most of the firearms recovered had been sold in the same state as the crime committed, about 27% were recovered in a different state from where they had been originally purchased.

24/7 Wall St. identified the states fueling the gun trafficking problem by reviewing the 2023 ATF firearm tracing data. We ranked every state in the nation by the number of firearms that were sourced locally and then recovered by police in a different state before being traced by the ATF. We also added information on each state’s gun law grade from the gun violence prevention group Giffords Law Center.

(This article was updated on May 8, 2025, to reflect recent news regarding the Trump Administration’s removal of a memorial honoring victims of gun violence at ATF headquarters.)

Why It Matters Today

Gun control laws are put in place, in part, to help keep firearms out of the wrong hands, and in the U.S., these laws are set mainly at the state and local levels. While some states have implemented strong gun safety laws, others have not. In theory, criminals will have greater difficulty obtaining a firearm in states where guns are tightly regulated. Partially as a result, many of the states with weak gun control laws are supplying thousands of firearms to other parts of the country where they are ultimately used for illicit purposes. The gun control debate is largely political, as can be seen by the recent removal of a memorial to victims of gun violence.

These are the states fueling America’s gun trafficking problem:

50. Hawaii

• Guns from Hawaii traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 46 (0.0% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Hawaii are linked to crime: California — 9 firearms (13.0% of all traced firearms sourced from Hawaii)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Hawaii are linked to crime: Nevada — 6 firearms (8.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Hawaii)
• Hawaii’s gun law strength grade: A-

49. Rhode Island

• Guns from Rhode Island traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 108 (0.1% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Rhode Island are linked to crime: Massachusetts — 51 firearms (12.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Rhode Island)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Rhode Island are linked to crime: Florida — 9 firearms (2.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Rhode Island)
• Rhode Island’s gun law strength grade: A-

48. South Dakota

• Guns from South Dakota traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 292 (0.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from South Dakota are linked to crime: Colorado — 43 firearms (5.5% of all traced firearms sourced from South Dakota)
• State where the 2nd most guns from South Dakota are linked to crime: California — 37 firearms (4.7% of all traced firearms sourced from South Dakota)
• South Dakota’s gun law strength grade: F

47. Vermont

• Guns from Vermont traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 347 (0.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Vermont are linked to crime: New York — 83 firearms (15.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Vermont)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Vermont are linked to crime: Massachusetts — 81 firearms (14.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Vermont)
• Vermont’s gun law strength grade: B-

46. New Jersey

• Guns from New Jersey traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 358 (0.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from New Jersey are linked to crime: Pennsylvania — 61 firearms (6.0% of all traced firearms sourced from New Jersey)
• State where the 2nd most guns from New Jersey are linked to crime: New York — 60 firearms (5.9% of all traced firearms sourced from New Jersey)
• New Jersey’s gun law strength grade: A

45. Nebraska

• Guns from Nebraska traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 377 (0.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Nebraska are linked to crime: Iowa — 59 firearms (3.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Nebraska)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Nebraska are linked to crime: Colorado — 46 firearms (2.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Nebraska)
• Nebraska’s gun law strength grade: C-

44. North Dakota

• Guns from North Dakota traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 403 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from North Dakota are linked to crime: Minnesota — 81 firearms (10.0% of all traced firearms sourced from North Dakota)
• State where the 2nd most guns from North Dakota are linked to crime: California — 56 firearms (6.9% of all traced firearms sourced from North Dakota)
• North Dakota’s gun law strength grade: F

43. Massachusetts

• Guns from Massachusetts traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 413 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Massachusetts are linked to crime: Rhode Island — 55 firearms (4.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Massachusetts)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Massachusetts are linked to crime: Florida — 50 firearms (4.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Massachusetts)
• Massachusetts’ gun law strength grade: A

42. Alaska

• Guns from Alaska traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 420 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Alaska are linked to crime: California — 73 firearms (4.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Alaska)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Alaska are linked to crime: Washington — 37 firearms (2.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Alaska)
• Alaska’s gun law strength grade: F

41. Connecticut

• Guns from Connecticut traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 425 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Connecticut are linked to crime: New York — 69 firearms (6.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Connecticut)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Connecticut are linked to crime: Florida — 57 firearms (5.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Connecticut)
• Connecticut’s gun law strength grade: A

40. Delaware

• Guns from Delaware traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 428 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Delaware are linked to crime: Maryland — 140 firearms (11.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Delaware)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Delaware are linked to crime: Pennsylvania — 123 firearms (10.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Delaware)
• Delaware’s gun law strength grade: A-

39. Wyoming

• Guns from Wyoming traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 463 (0.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Wyoming are linked to crime: Colorado — 119 firearms (18.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Wyoming)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Wyoming are linked to crime: California — 50 firearms (7.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Wyoming)
• Wyoming’s gun law strength grade: F

38. Maine

• Guns from Maine traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 581 (0.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Maine are linked to crime: Massachusetts — 225 firearms (23.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Maine)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Maine are linked to crime: New York — 102 firearms (10.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Maine)
• Maine’s gun law strength grade: C+

37. New York

• Guns from New York traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 608 (0.6% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from New York are linked to crime: Florida — 100 firearms (4.7% of all traced firearms sourced from New York)
• State where the 2nd most guns from New York are linked to crime: North Carolina — 56 firearms (2.6% of all traced firearms sourced from New York)
• New York’s gun law strength grade: A

36. New Hampshire

• Guns from New Hampshire traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 699 (0.6% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from New Hampshire are linked to crime: Massachusetts — 248 firearms (20.1% of all traced firearms sourced from New Hampshire)
• State where the 2nd most guns from New Hampshire are linked to crime: Florida — 45 firearms (3.6% of all traced firearms sourced from New Hampshire)
• New Hampshire’s gun law strength grade: D-

35. Montana

• Guns from Montana traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 709 (0.6% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Montana are linked to crime: California — 185 firearms (10.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Montana)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Montana are linked to crime: Washington — 90 firearms (5.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Montana)
• Montana’s gun law strength grade: F

34. Minnesota

• Guns from Minnesota traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 743 (0.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Minnesota are linked to crime: Illinois — 122 firearms (3.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Minnesota)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Minnesota are linked to crime: California — 67 firearms (1.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Minnesota)
• Minnesota’s gun law strength grade: B

33. Maryland

• Guns from Maryland traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 887 (0.8% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Maryland are linked to crime: Virginia — 88 firearms (2.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Maryland)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Maryland are linked to crime: Pennsylvania — 78 firearms (1.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Maryland)
• Maryland’s gun law strength grade: A-

32. Iowa

• Guns from Iowa traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 897 (0.8% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Iowa are linked to crime: Illinois — 303 firearms (9.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Iowa)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Iowa are linked to crime: Nebraska — 133 firearms (4.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Iowa)
• Iowa’s gun law strength grade: F

31. Idaho

• Guns from Idaho traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 974 (0.9% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Idaho are linked to crime: California — 346 firearms (18.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Idaho)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Idaho are linked to crime: Washington — 176 firearms (9.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Idaho)
• Idaho’s gun law strength grade: F

30. New Mexico

• Guns from New Mexico traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,127 (1.0% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from New Mexico are linked to crime: Texas — 271 firearms (6.7% of all traced firearms sourced from New Mexico)
• State where the 2nd most guns from New Mexico are linked to crime: California — 258 firearms (6.4% of all traced firearms sourced from New Mexico)
• New Mexico’s gun law strength grade: B-

29. Utah

• Guns from Utah traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,199 (1.1% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Utah are linked to crime: California — 631 firearms (16.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Utah)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Utah are linked to crime: Texas — 85 firearms (2.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Utah)
• Utah’s gun law strength grade: F

28. Oregon

• Guns from Oregon traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,399 (1.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Oregon are linked to crime: California — 562 firearms (11.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Oregon)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Oregon are linked to crime: Washington — 285 firearms (5.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Oregon)
• Oregon’s gun law strength grade: A-

27. Kansas

• Guns from Kansas traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,503 (1.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Kansas are linked to crime: Missouri — 518 firearms (12.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Kansas)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Kansas are linked to crime: California — 132 firearms (3.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Kansas)
• Kansas’ gun law strength grade: F

26. Wisconsin

• Guns from Wisconsin traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,532 (1.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Wisconsin are linked to crime: Illinois — 663 firearms (8.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Wisconsin)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Wisconsin are linked to crime: Minnesota — 170 firearms (2.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Wisconsin)
• Wisconsin’s gun law strength grade: C

25. Michigan

• Guns from Michigan traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,544 (1.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Michigan are linked to crime: Ohio — 191 firearms (2.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Michigan)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Michigan are linked to crime: Illinois — 159 firearms (1.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Michigan)
• Michigan’s gun law strength grade: B-

24. West Virginia

• Guns from West Virginia traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,578 (1.4% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from West Virginia are linked to crime: Maryland — 231 firearms (8.4% of all traced firearms sourced from West Virginia)
• State where the 2nd most guns from West Virginia are linked to crime: Ohio — 216 firearms (7.9% of all traced firearms sourced from West Virginia)
• West Virginia’s gun law strength grade: F

23. Colorado

• Guns from Colorado traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,663 (1.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Colorado are linked to crime: California — 294 firearms (4.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Colorado)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Colorado are linked to crime: Texas — 173 firearms (2.6% of all traced firearms sourced from Colorado)
• Colorado’s gun law strength grade: A-

22. Washington

• Guns from Washington traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,816 (1.6% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Washington are linked to crime: California — 455 firearms (8.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Washington)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Washington are linked to crime: Oregon — 340 firearms (6.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Washington)
• Washington’s gun law strength grade: A-

21. Oklahoma

• Guns from Oklahoma traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,903 (1.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Oklahoma are linked to crime: Texas — 497 firearms (9.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Oklahoma)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Oklahoma are linked to crime: California — 428 firearms (8.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Oklahoma)
• Oklahoma’s gun law strength grade: F

20. Illinois

• Guns from Illinois traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,904 (1.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Illinois are linked to crime: Missouri — 217 firearms (2.0% of all traced firearms sourced from Illinois)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Illinois are linked to crime: Indiana — 190 firearms (1.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Illinois)
• Illinois’ gun law strength grade: A-

19. Arkansas

• Guns from Arkansas traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 1,960 (1.8% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Arkansas are linked to crime: Texas — 361 firearms (9.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Arkansas)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Arkansas are linked to crime: California — 332 firearms (8.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Arkansas)
• Arkansas’ gun law strength grade: F

18. California

• Guns from California traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 2,363 (2.1% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from California are linked to crime: Texas — 251 firearms (1.2% of all traced firearms sourced from California)
• State where the 2nd most guns from California are linked to crime: Nevada — 244 firearms (1.2% of all traced firearms sourced from California)
• California’s gun law strength grade: A

17. Louisiana

• Guns from Louisiana traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 2,722 (2.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Louisiana are linked to crime: Texas — 1,150 firearms (9.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Louisiana)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Louisiana are linked to crime: California — 232 firearms (1.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Louisiana)
• Louisiana’s gun law strength grade: F

16. Nevada

• Guns from Nevada traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 2,868 (2.6% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Nevada are linked to crime: California — 2,065 firearms (32.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Nevada)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Nevada are linked to crime: Texas — 91 firearms (1.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Nevada)
• Nevada’s gun law strength grade: B-

15. Pennsylvania

• Guns from Pennsylvania traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,155 (2.9% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Pennsylvania are linked to crime: New York — 599 firearms (4.6% of all traced firearms sourced from Pennsylvania)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Pennsylvania are linked to crime: New Jersey — 532 firearms (4.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Pennsylvania)
• Pennsylvania’s gun law strength grade: B

14. Kentucky

• Guns from Kentucky traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,181 (2.9% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Kentucky are linked to crime: Ohio — 495 firearms (5.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Kentucky)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Kentucky are linked to crime: Illinois — 405 firearms (4.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Kentucky)
• Kentucky’s gun law strength grade: F

13. Missouri

• Guns from Missouri traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,209 (2.9% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Missouri are linked to crime: Illinois — 952 firearms (9.0% of all traced firearms sourced from Missouri)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Missouri are linked to crime: Kansas — 532 firearms (5.0% of all traced firearms sourced from Missouri)
• Missouri’s gun law strength grade: F

12. Alabama

• Guns from Alabama traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,600 (3.3% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Alabama are linked to crime: Georgia — 583 firearms (5.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Alabama)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Alabama are linked to crime: Florida — 498 firearms (4.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Alabama)
• Alabama’s gun law strength grade: F

11. Ohio

• Guns from Ohio traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,805 (3.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Ohio are linked to crime: New York — 416 firearms (2.2% of all traced firearms sourced from Ohio)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Ohio are linked to crime: Kentucky — 346 firearms (1.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Ohio)
• Ohio’s gun law strength grade: D-

10. Tennessee

• Guns from Tennessee traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,866 (3.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Tennessee are linked to crime: Illinois — 390 firearms (2.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Tennessee)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Tennessee are linked to crime: Mississippi — 334 firearms (2.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Tennessee)
• Tennessee’s gun law strength grade: F

9. Mississippi

• Guns from Mississippi traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 3,896 (3.5% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Mississippi are linked to crime: Tennessee — 959 firearms (13.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Mississippi)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Mississippi are linked to crime: Texas — 486 firearms (6.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Mississippi)
• Mississippi’s gun law strength grade: F

8. North Carolina

• Guns from North Carolina traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 4,400 (4.0% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from North Carolina are linked to crime: South Carolina — 700 firearms (3.1% of all traced firearms sourced from North Carolina)
• State where the 2nd most guns from North Carolina are linked to crime: New York — 591 firearms (2.6% of all traced firearms sourced from North Carolina)
• North Carolina’s gun law strength grade: C-

7. South Carolina

• Guns from South Carolina traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 4,525 (4.1% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from South Carolina are linked to crime: North Carolina — 1,322 firearms (9.6% of all traced firearms sourced from South Carolina)
• State where the 2nd most guns from South Carolina are linked to crime: New York — 593 firearms (4.3% of all traced firearms sourced from South Carolina)
• South Carolina’s gun law strength grade: F

6. Indiana

• Guns from Indiana traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 5,145 (4.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Indiana are linked to crime: Illinois — 2,796 firearms (19.7% of all traced firearms sourced from Indiana)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Indiana are linked to crime: Kentucky — 335 firearms (2.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Indiana)
• Indiana’s gun law strength grade: D-

5. Virginia

• Guns from Virginia traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 5,461 (5.0% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Virginia are linked to crime: Maryland — 1,020 firearms (6.5% of all traced firearms sourced from Virginia)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Virginia are linked to crime: North Carolina — 851 firearms (5.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Virginia)
• Virginia’s gun law strength grade: B+

4. Florida

• Guns from Florida traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 6,259 (5.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Florida are linked to crime: Georgia — 656 firearms (2.1% of all traced firearms sourced from Florida)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Florida are linked to crime: New York — 589 firearms (1.9% of all traced firearms sourced from Florida)
• Florida’s gun law strength grade: C-

3. Arizona

• Guns from Arizona traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 6,376 (5.8% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Arizona are linked to crime: California — 4,372 firearms (27.3% of all traced firearms sourced from Arizona)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Arizona are linked to crime: Nevada — 227 firearms (1.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Arizona)
• Arizona’s gun law strength grade: F

2. Texas

• Guns from Texas traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 7,537 (6.8% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Texas are linked to crime: California — 1,662 firearms (3.4% of all traced firearms sourced from Texas)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Texas are linked to crime: Louisiana — 859 firearms (1.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Texas)
• Texas’ gun law strength grade: F

1. Georgia

• Guns from Georgia traced to out-of-state crimes, 2023: 8,535 (7.7% of all guns used in out-of-state crimes)
• State where the most guns from Georgia are linked to crime: Florida — 1,251 firearms (5.0% of all traced firearms sourced from Georgia)
• State where the 2nd most guns from Georgia are linked to crime: New York — 954 firearms (3.8% of all traced firearms sourced from Georgia)
• Georgia’s gun law strength grade: F

The post How Weak Gun Laws in One State Can Fuel Violence in Another appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..