Ohio, Illinois have the most guns recovered by police and traced to Kentucky, data shows
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From commonwealth to crime scene
Guns legally purchased in Kentucky are being funneled to out-of-state buyers and winding up at crime scenes hundreds of miles away.
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Hard to trace, until it’s too late: How KY guns end up in out-of-state crime scenes
Ohio, Illinois have the most guns recovered by police and traced to Kentucky, data shows
Guns stolen from cars can wind up being ‘crime guns.’ The thefts are common in Lexington
Gun thefts from vehicles increased in Lexington between 2020 and 2021
Law enforcement officials have made efforts to restrict access to guns for criminals, but there are several ways for those seeking guns to circumvent laws.
In recent years, guns recovered by police in neighboring states have been tied back to Kentucky. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives can trace recovered guns to determine where the gun was originally purchased.
“Crime guns,” or guns tied to criminal activity, have been recovered in states like Ohio and Illinois and traced back to Kentucky. The ATF says that differences in gun laws across jurisdictions can create a market for moving firearms across state lines.
The top five states which have seen a large number of recovered guns traced back to Kentucky are Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee, Indiana and Florida, according to data from the ATF.
Many of those carrying the guns traced by the ATF are between the ages of 25 and 40.