Where do criminals get guns?

Most shootings on the streets of American cities are committed by criminals who do not have a 2nd Amendment right to own guns, but obtain them through an illegal gun market.

•  Gun traffickers operate an “Iron Pipeline” that supplies the guns used in homicides and other violent crimes.
•  The most common way traffickers obtain guns is through a “straw purchase.” A straw purchaser is someone who buys guns on behalf of people who can’t pass criminal background checks.
•  Most people have no idea the “Iron Pipeline” exists – or that we can take steps to shut it down.

Through education and advocacy, LIPSTICK empowers citizens to stop the flow of trafficked guns into urban communities, reduce violence, and save lives.