Gun Trafficking and Crime Guns in Connecticut
Gun trafficking is arming lethal violence around the country. Every year, hundreds of thousands of guns are illegally channeled into communities across the country, where they are used in shootings and other violent crimes that terrorize neighborhoods. Gun trafficking is not just a problem of the individuals who move guns from legal commerce to illegal use. It is also a problem of the gun dealers who supply these guns through their own negligence or complicity. State leaders can take action to combat gun trafficking.
Gun Trafficking Is a Serious Problem in Connecticut
Connecticut is facing a crime gun crisis—and the evidence points squarely at the state’s own federally licensed gun dealers (also known as Federal Firearms Licensees or FFLs) as one key part of the problem. In 2023, law enforcement recovered and traced 2,219 guns in connection with crimes in Connecticut.1ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023.
Many of these guns show signs of having been illegally trafficked. Approximately 36 percent of all crime guns recovered in Connecticut in 2023 were purchased less than three years before their recovery by law enforcement2Everytown analysis of ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023. See “Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Connecticut Recovery.” TTC known in 1,533 traces.—a key red flag for illegal trafficking.3ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume II: Crime Guns—Part III: Crime Guns Recovered and Traced within the United States and its Territories,” February 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-ii-part-iii-crime-guns-recovered-and-traced-us/download.
| Time-to-Crime (TTC) | Number of Traces4Crime gun tracing is an important tool for law enforcement to trace the lawful chain of custody of a firearm in order to generate leads in criminal investigations where firearms are recovered. Crime gun traces are conducted by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The tracing process involves contacting the manufacturer, distributor, and dealer to determine the first retail purchaser of a gun. For more information about the tracing process, see Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “The Supply Side of Violence: How Gun Dealers Fuel Firearm Trafficking,” December 2025, Appendix 1, https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-gun-dealers-fuel-firearm-trafficking/. | Percentage of Traces5Everytown analysis of ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023. See “Time-To-Crime Rates for Firearms with a Connecticut Recovery.” TTC known in 1,533 traces. |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 1 Year | 197 | 13% |
| 1 Year to Under 3 Years | 355 | 23% |
| 3 or More Years | 981 | 64% |
Between 2017 and 2021, only 14 percent of crime guns recovered in Connecticut were recovered in the possession of the original purchaser,6ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume II: Crime Guns—Connecticut State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/media/15376/download. See “Crime Guns Recovered and Traced, 2017–2021: Crime Guns by Purchaser/Possessor Grouping when Purchaser is Known.” another significant indication of firearm trafficking.7ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume II: Crime Guns—Part III: Crime Guns Recovered and Traced within the United States and its Territories,” February 2023, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-ii-part-iii-crime-guns-recovered-and-traced-us/download. Using data from ATF, it is estimated that 476 crime guns recovered in Connecticut in 2023 were likely illegally trafficked by individuals who purchased them from FFLs.8Everytown analysis of ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” and “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume II: Crime Guns—Connecticut State Report” data. To determine the estimated number of traced crime guns likely obtained by traffickers through illegal purchases from FFLs, we took the total number of crime guns traces with a time-to-crime of less than three years (552) recovered in 2023 and then multiplied it by the percentage of crime guns recovered between 2017 and 2021 in the possession of someone other than the purchaser (86 percent).
Connecticut Gun Dealers Supply a Significant Number of Crime Guns in the State
While gun trafficking is often thought of as an issue of guns crossing state or national borders, in reality, trafficking often involves moving guns short distances within a state. In 2023, Connecticut gun dealers supplied 45 percent of all crime guns recovered and successfully traced in the state.9ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023. See “Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Connecticut Recovery, 2023.” Analysis limited to crime guns traced to a purchase from a gun dealer. Source state known in 1,539 traces. Connecticut is also a target for gun traffickers from out of state. In 2023, 27 percent of the crime guns recovered in Connecticut originated in states comprising the I-95 East Coast trafficking pipeline (i.e., Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia).10ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023. See “Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Connecticut Recovery, 2023.” Analysis limited to crime guns traced to a purchase from a gun dealer. Of 1,539 crime guns recovered in Connecticut and successfully traced, 418 (27 percent) were originally purchased in an I-95 East Coast trafficking pipeline state. These out-of-state guns pose a serious threat to Connecticut communities: according to trace data and analysis by ATF, 393 crime guns trafficked into Connecticut from I-95 pipeline states were used in shootings in Connecticut between 2019 and 2023.11ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume IV: Protecting America from Trafficked Firearms—Part IV: Firearm Trafficking Investigations Updates and New Analysis,” January 2025, 13, https://www.atf.gov/sites/default/files2/nfcta_volume_iv_-_part_iv_0.pdf. See Figure FTI-07: “Market State of East Coast I-95 Pipeline Traces Associated with At Least One Shooting, 2019–2023.”
| State Where Gun Originated12Everytown analysis of ATF, “Firearms Trace Data: Connecticut – 2023,” December 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report/firearms-trace-data/firearms-trace-data-connecticut-2023. See “Top 15 Source States for Firearms with a Connecticut Recovery, 2023.” Source state known in 1,539 traces. | Number of Crime Guns Traced from Origin State | Percentage of Total Crime Gun Traces |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 696 | 45% |
| Georgia | 112 | 7% |
| Florida | 100 | 6% |
| South Carolina | 86 | 6% |
| Vermont | 69 | 4% |
Trafficked guns in Connecticut often don’t travel far: between 2017 and 2021, 41 percent of all crime guns were recovered in the state within 25 miles of the dealer they were purchased from.13ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume II: Crime Guns—Connecticut State Report,” November 2023, https://www.atf.gov/media/15376/download. See “Crime Guns Recovered and Traced, 2017–2021: Crime Guns by FFL-to-Recovery Location.” The FFLs located in and near cities with a high number of crime gun recoveries are, therefore, the likely source of crime guns in those areas.
The top two methods of firearm trafficking in Connecticut directly implicate gun dealers. An analysis of ATF trafficking investigations conducted in the ATF Boston Field Division (which covers Connecticut and other neighboring states) between 2017 and 2021 revealed that the top two methods of trafficking were unlicensed dealing and straw purchasing.14The cases encompass the entire ATF Boston Field Division, which encompasses the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part III: Firearm Trafficking Channels and Methods Used,” April 2024, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-iii/download. See Appendix FTC – Firearm Trafficking Channels, Table FTC-05: “Number and Percentage of Cases by ATF Field Division and Selected Firearm Channel Type, 2017–2021.” Unlicensed dealing involves an individual buying and selling firearms for profit, but without first obtaining a license from ATF to do so, as federal law requires. A typical instance of unlicensed dealing in furtherance of trafficking is when an individual buys a large number of guns in a few transactions over a short period of time, often purchasing multiples of the same type with the intent of reselling them to other purchasers without conducting a background check. Straw purchasing occurs when someone buys a firearm for someone else, usually someone who is prohibited from purchasing a firearm. For more information about these trafficking methods, see Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, “The Supply Side of Violence: How Gun Dealers Fuel Firearm Trafficking,” December 2025, https://everytownresearch.org/report/how-gun-dealers-fuel-firearm-trafficking/.
| Method of Trafficking | Number of Cases |
|---|---|
| Unlicensed Dealing | 194 |
| Straw Purchasing | 187 |
| Stolen from a Private Party | 68 |
| Stolen from an FFL | 12 |
As of September 2025, there are 633 active licensed gun dealers in Connecticut;15ATF, “State Federal Firearms Listings: Connecticut,” September 2025, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/listing-federal-firearms-licensees/. Includes Type 01 (firearms dealers), Type 02 (pawnbrokers), Type 07 (manufacturers), and Type 08 (importers) FFLs. however, ATF research finds that just 15 percent of retail dealers, 38 percent of pawnbrokers, and about 17 percent of manufacturers account for over 90 percent of all firearm sales.16According to ATF research, actual sales are concentrated among a small subset of this overall group of licensees: just 15 percent of gun dealers (Type 01 FFLs) account for 92 percent of all retail gun sales, 38 percent of pawnbrokers (Type 02 FFLs) are responsible for 91 percent of pawnshop sales, and 17 percent of manufacturers (Type 07 FFLs) are responsible for 96 percent of retail sales conducted by manufacturers. Because importers (Type 08 FFLs) comprise only 0.5 percent of all estimated sales ATF did not provide a breakdown of the number of FFLs by sales volume and is therefore excluded here. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume I: Firearms in Commerce,” May 2022, 67–68, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/national-firearms-commerce-and-trafficking-assessment-firearms-commerce-volume/download. See Tables SD-03: “Total Type 01 FFLs and EMSV by EMSV Range, 2017–2020;” SD-04: “Type 02 FFLs and EMSV Range, 2017–2020;” and SD-05: “Type 07 FFLs and EMSV Range, 2017–2020.” Applying this data to Connecticut, there are likely closer to 98 FFLs actively selling firearms,17Everytown analysis of ATF, Connecticut FFL Listings, September 2025, and “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume I: Firearms in Commerce” estimated minimum sales volume data. Estimate based on sum of 58 (386*15%) Type 01 FFLs, 5 (14*38%) Type 02 FFLs, and 35 (206*17%) Type 07 FFLs. Estimated minimum sales volume by number of FFLs for Type 08 FFLs was not provided by the ATF and is therefore excluded from this analysis. providing a more manageable number for oversight.
Gun Trafficking Fuels Community Violence
Trafficking is a primary way that individuals who are not legally allowed to buy or possess guns obtain them. According to ATF research, nearly 88 percent of recipients of trafficked guns nationally were prohibited from buying guns because of prior criminal convictions or other prohibitors.18ATF Special Agents were able to identify an end recipient of trafficked firearms in 46 percent of the cases studied. In these cases, 12 percent of end recipients had no prior prohibiting convictions. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part VI: Characteristics of Firearm Traffickers, End Users, and Defendants,” April 2024, 13, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-vi/download. See Table CFT-25a: “Number and Percentage of Cases by Top Five End User Background Characteristics, 2017–2021.” Trafficked guns are destined for use in violent crime. Nationally, nearly 28 percent of trafficking investigations involve firearms that were used in furtherance of a drug offense or drug trafficking, 19 percent were used in aggravated assaults, 11 percent were used in homicides, and 9 percent were used in attempted homicides.19There can be multiple crimes identified in a firearm trafficking investigation, so these statistics are not mutually exclusive. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IX: Investigation Outcomes,” April 2024, 4, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-ix/download. See Figure IO-03: “Top Ten Crimes Identified, 2017–2021.”
Trafficked guns are frequently used in shootings. Nationally, 15 percent of trafficking investigations involve guns that were linked to at least one shooting.20ATF Special Agents (SAs) were able to report whether trafficked firearms were or were not used in shootings in approximately 66 percent (6,455 of 9,708) of cases. In these 6,455 investigations, SAs indicated that a trafficked firearm was used in a shooting in 15.1 percent (974) of cases. ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFTCA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IX: Investigation Outcomes,” April 2024, 5, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-ix/download. Use in shootings is even higher when looking at specific trafficking methods: nearly 24 percent of straw purchasing trafficking cases and 16 percent of unlicensed dealing trafficking cases were linked to at least one shooting.21ATF, “National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment (NFCTA), Volume III: Firearms Trafficking Investigations—Part IX: Investigation Outcomes,” April 2024, 5, https://www.atf.gov/firearms/docs/report/nfcta-volume-iii-part-ix/download. See Table IO-06: “Total Number of Cases by Trafficking Channel and Use in Shootings, 2017–2021.”
State leaders can take action to address gun trafficking by adopting a comprehensive strategy that includes (1) using data to identify, interrupt, and prosecute trafficking, (2) implementing robust regulatory oversight of gun dealers, and (3) enacting foundational gun safety laws that deter trafficking. For more information about gun trafficking and policy solutions to address it, visit: everytownresearch.org/firearm-trafficking.
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Everytown Research & Policy is a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an independent, non-partisan organization dedicated to understanding and reducing gun violence. Everytown Research & Policy works to do so by conducting methodologically rigorous research, supporting evidence-based policies, and communicating this knowledge to the American public.