Dozens of Texas gun shops that sold the most guns used in crime exposed in ATF list

The federal government has stepped up its scrutiny of gun stores that sell guns used in crimes, with the number of stores singled out more than doubling in the past four years.

In 2023, five of the 10 mass shootings over the previous eight years occurred in Texas, CNN reports. Gun violence experts were unsurprised by this, given the number of guns owned by Texans. About 60% of Texas households own at least one gun.

Which gun stores sell the most crime-linked guns has been kept secret for more than two decades, since 2003 under the George W. Bush administration. But a Freedom of Information Act request from USA TODAY unearthed a glimpse of them.

What is the "ATF list?"

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF, targeted more than 1,300 outlets in 2023. These shops range from some of the largest sellers, like Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, to local stores throughout the United States.

The release of ATF's list is part of the Biden administration's gun violence agenda, which has amassed controversy. The list, now posted online, identifies 93 federal firearm licensees that ATF inspections found to have willfully violated portions of the Gun Control Act. Of the 93, Texas had 12 shops revoked between 2021 and 2022, the most in the nation.

ATF representatives are quick to note that being on their “Demand 2” list itself is not an indication of wrongdoing. "Demand 2" requires licensees with 25 or more traces in a calendar year to submit an annual report and quarterly reports of used firearms, according to the NSSF.

Lawmakers divided on ATF list release

Biden has justified the release of the list by claiming that the included gun dealers have gone "rogue."

The crackdown on gun dealers has been decried by Republicans in both the U.S. House and Senate as a "radical anti-constitutional agenda."

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The release of store names is “inappropriate and counterproductive,” according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Senior Vice President Larry Keane. He questioned whether the ATF broke the law by doing so.

“If shops are named publicly and there are negative articles suggesting they're bad guys,” Keane said, “they won't want to cooperate with the ATF as they've done in the past.”

Texas firearm mortality

Data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included startling numbers for Texas in 2021. That year, Texas surpassed Florida and California in firearm-related deaths.

A total of 4,613 people died by firearms in Texas in 2021 — 1,067 more than in California. While suicide remains the most common cause of gun deaths, rising homicide rates might be attributed to increases in mass shootings within the state as well as nationwide.

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The average age in most firearm deaths ranges from 20 to 34, which has been the case for decades. This age group accounted for more than a third of the 48,830 firearm-related deaths in 2021.

Texas mass shootings, 2009 to present

There have been nine mass shootings in Texas over the last 14 years, the Texas Tribune reports. Here's a breakdown:

— USA TODAY reporter Nick Penzenstadler contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Dozens of Texas gun shops named on ATF list; 12 had licenses revoked