An echoing trauma

America’s decadeslong epidemic of gun violence has led to a unique form of collective trauma.

It is felt by survivors, the families and friends of victims, first responders, community members – and everyone else across the country who witness events unfold on television and social media.

“Ricochet: An American Trauma,” a new one-hour documentary from the PBS NewsHour, examines the U.S. gun violence crisis and the people it affects most.

Hosted by NewsHour correspondent William Brangham, the new documentary takes a look at the deeper toll that follows suicide, mass shootings and other forms of gun violence.
 
Coverage of our primetime special can also be found on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 
A GUN TRAUMA PROBLEM
 
Every day, about 124 people die from guns in America. And yet, the trauma extends beyond that staggering loss.
 
“At some point in our lives, almost every single American is going to know someone who has been impacted by gun violence,” said Jennifer Carlson, a sociologist at University of Arizona. “This is not something that only happens when the headlines grab us. This is something that is threaded through society and that touches all of us if we're willing to hear it and willing to acknowledge it and willing to witness it.”
 
More than 45,000 Americans died as a result of gun-related injuries in 2020, the highest number on record. Guns became the greatest cause of mortality for American children. So far this year, there have been more than 400 mass shootings in the United States, including tragedies in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas.

Meanwhile, suicide accounts for more than half of all gun-related deaths in the U.S. And the daily impact of community gun violence continues to grip American cities, leading to widespread mental health impacts.
 
For Carlson, it’s important for Americans to move beyond the idea that there’s a gun violence problem in our country “and actually think about it in terms of a gun trauma problem in the United States.”

If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also find them online at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
 
This newsletter was compiled by Joshua Barajas, Talesha Reynolds and Sam Lane.