New Everytown Report Reveals How Gun Dealers Are Driving Wisconsin’s Illegal Gun Trafficking Crisis

Most Crime Guns Recovered in Wisconsin Are Coming From Dealers Inside the State, Estimated 11 Dealers Are Responsible for Nearly 1 in 5 Crime Guns.

MADISON, Wis. — Everytown for Gun Safety today released a new report that reveals a handful of federally licensed gun dealers (FFLs) in Wisconsin are likely responsible for a disproportionate share of firearms recovered at crime scenes across the state. The findings show that Wisconsin’s crime gun crisis is overwhelmingly driven by in-state gun dealers supplying firearms that quickly flow into illegal markets and fuel violence in local communities. 

The new analysis highlights how effective FFL oversight and accountability, coupled with stronger gun trafficking prevention policies, could help reduce gun violence in Wisconsin. 

“Gun trafficking is the lethal engine driving America’s gun violence crisis. Trafficked guns don’t appear out of thin air. They start with licensed dealers who look the other way, and end up in the hands of criminals who use them to terrorize our communities,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “This steady supply chain of illegal activity thrives on loopholes, weak oversight, and willful ignorance. Until policymakers hold dealers accountable, the gun industry will continue profiting from the violence it helps create.”

“This report is a wake-up call, but my years at ATF taught me that states don’t have to wait for Washington to act,” 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. “By using crime gun intelligence – especially trace and NIBIN data – states can quickly identify shooters, the traffickers who arm them, and the federally licensed dealers supplying those traffickers. With the Trump Administration stepping back from crucial enforcement, strong state leadership is the only way to shut down these trafficking pipelines.”

“When a small number of gun dealers are supplying so many of the weapons recovered at crime scenes, it’s clear this is a preventable crisis,” said Jenevia Blanks, a gun violence survivor and volunteer with the Wisconsin chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Wisconsin lawmakers have a responsibility to step in, hold these dealers accountable, and protect our communities before more families are torn apart.”

Key findings from the report include:

• A limited number of FFLs drive Wisconsin’s crime gun crisis. The state has roughly 1,700 federally licensed gun dealers, but only 273 appear to be actively selling firearms. Of that, it’s estimated that just 11 dealers are responsible for nearly 20% of all crime guns recovered statewide.
  
• Most crime guns originate inside Wisconsin. In 2023, law enforcement recovered 8,441 crime guns across the state. 84% originated from licensed dealers, and 85% of those came from dealers located in Wisconsin—with Milwaukee, Madison, West Allis, Racine, and Kenosha as the top source cities.
  
• Wisconsin crime guns show strong signs of trafficking. 56% of crime guns were recovered within three years of purchase, a key trafficking red flag and nearly 84% were recovered in the possession of someone other than the original purchaser.

Everytown’s analysis reinforces the urgent need for Wisconsin policymakers to strengthen oversight of gun dealers, crack down on trafficking indicators, and close the dangerous loopholes that allow a small number of corrupt sellers to supply the firearms driving gun violence in Wisconsin communities. 

The Wisconsin chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action are currently advocating for a comprehensive gun trafficking bill to stop the flow of illegal guns and hold criminals accountable in the State Legislature. The bill will: 

1. Crack down on corrupt gun dealers by requiring dealers to securely store inventory, record all sales, conduct background checks on employees, and train to identify straw purchasing. 

2. Close dangerous loopholes by requiring gun dealers to complete background checks on all gun sales, ending the practice of selling guns before checks are finalized. 

3. Give law enforcement crime gun intelligence by establishing a system to help identify trends, trace weapons, and shut down trafficking rings – producing real-time information into how illegal guns are moving across Wisconsin communities. 

4. Prevent bulk trafficking by prohibiting multiple firearm purchases within a single month. 

This new analysis is a part of a larger, national report released by Everytown that finds gun trafficking is a significant and growing driver of gun violence in communities across the country – and that the gun industry plays a central role in enabling it. Read the full report here.