New Everytown Report Reveals Alarming Crime-Gun Pipeline in Michigan and How a Small Number of Michigan Gun Dealers Are Driving the State’s Crime Gun Crisis

New Analysis Finds Nearly 3,800 Crime Guns Likely Trafficked in 2023 Alone With Michigan-Based Dealers Responsible for the Vast Majority of Guns Recovered in Crimes

LANSING, Mich. — Everytown for Gun Safety today released a new white paper showing that Michigan is facing an escalating crime-gun crisis driven primarily by guns trafficked from the state’s own licensed gun dealers.  The findings reveal that a small number of gun stores are responsible for thousands of guns later used in crimes, and that a handful of stores are supplying thousands of guns ending up in shootings, violent offenses, and youth possession. Last week, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the  Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (MGVPTF) released a new report including data-backed policy solutions to address crime gun trafficking.

In 2023, Michigan law enforcement recovered 11,460 crime guns, 81 percent of which were originally purchased from federally licensed gun dealers (FFLs). Nearly three-quarters — 7,370 guns — were sold by Michigan-based dealers.

The data also show unmistakable signs of trafficking: 52 percent of crime guns were purchased less than three years before their recovery — a key indicator of illegal trafficking — and nearly 80 percent of crime guns recovered between 2017 and 2021 were found in the possession of someone other than the original purchaser.

Perhaps most alarming: an estimated 22 dealers were the likely source of one out of every four crime guns recovered in the state during a four-year period — and all remain operational today.

“Gun trafficking is the engine driving Michigan’s gun violence crisis, and this report makes clear that the pipeline begins with licensed dealers who either look the other way or fail to stop obvious red flags,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law & Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “These guns don’t appear in Detroit, Warren, or Grand Rapids crime scenes by accident — they flow there from stores that provide an easy entry point for traffickers. Without strong state oversight and accountability, the same dealers will continue fueling violence in communities across Michigan.”

“This is exactly what a trafficking pipeline looks like — the same dealers, the same patterns, the same guns ending up at crime scenes again and again,” said Marianna Mitchem,  Senior Firearms Industry Advisor at Everytown for Gun Safety and Former Associate Assistant Director of Field Operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. “Michigan cannot depend on federal oversight alone. A small number of dealers are flooding the criminal market with guns, and without state intervention, this flow will continue to arm violent offenders, traffickers, and people who pose a threat to themselves and others.”

“Michigan families are paying the price for a system where guns can move so easily from a few irresponsible dealers into the hands of people intent on doing harm,” said Megan Wick, lead with the Michigan chapter of Moms Demand Action. “These crime guns are showing up in shootings, domestic violence incidents, and tragedies that devastate entire neighborhoods. Traffickers know exactly which dealers won’t stop them — and without strong oversight, the flow will continue. Lawmakers have the chance to finally hold these dealers accountable and stop the guns at the source.”

Key Findings from the Michigan white paper include: 

• Michigan FFLs are the state’s primary source of crime guns.  79 percent of recovered crime guns traced to a purchaser came from Michigan gun dealers.
• Thousands of guns show signs of trafficking. An estimated 3,800 crime guns recovered in 2023 were likely trafficked.
• A small group of dealers is responsible for a massive volume of crime guns. An estimated 22 FFLs likely sourced more than 25 percent of Michigan crime guns from 2017–2021.
• Crime guns stay close to the source. More than 65 percent of crime guns were recovered within 25 miles of the dealer that sold them; 61 percent of all crime guns recovered in the state were recovered in Detroit.
• Trafficked guns show up in shootings fast. Michigan pistols have a median time-to-first-shooting of just two years.

State Leaders Can Act: Michigan Dealer Licensing Would Close the Gaps

To address this crisis, Everytown is urging Michigan lawmakers to enact a state gun dealer licensing system — a policy already used effectively in several other states to reduce trafficking and the flow of illegal guns. Dealer licensing legislation, HB 5065, was introduced by Michigan Rep. Kara Hope in September. The legislation would:

• Require retail gun dealers to obtain a state license in order to sell firearms in Michigan; 
• Require gun dealers and employees to pass background checks and complete safety training;
• Require dealers implement basic security measures to guard against straw purchases and theft, and 
• Allow for inspections to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.

Michigan has made significant progress on gun safety in recent years, including enacting universal background checks, a red flag law, and safe storage requirements. But as federal oversight of gun dealers has weakened, Michigan lacks the regulatory infrastructure to prevent trafficking at the source. With gun homicides and gun suicides continuing to impact Michigan communities every day, experts say closing the supply-side loopholes is the next critical step.