A Qualitative Understanding of LA's Illegal Gun Market

• In Event: Multi-city, Multi-method Underground Gun Market Study: A Qualitative Understanding of Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston

Abstract

While rates of violence in Los Angeles have declined, gun violence remains a serious problem—indeed, the majority of LA's homicides in 2013's resulted from gunshots. However, researchers and policymakers know very little about the functioning of today's underground gun market and how guns operate in at-risk communities. As part of a multi-method effort in Los Angeles, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 100 individuals detained in the Los Angeles County jail system on gun-related charges. The research is among the most recent and expansive investigations of illegal gun markets in Los Angeles. We subjected interview transcripts to a multi-stage, qualitative coding process to help build a more nuanced understanding of illegal gun markets in LA. The findings reveal how gun-involved individuals obtain illegal weapons and ammunition as well as the motivations for possessing a gun, despite the legal consequences. Together, these results can be used to better inform policies that both seek to disrupt the illegal gun market and decrease the need for guns among the population most at risk for violence resulting from illegal guns.

Authors

• Natalie Pifer, University of California, Irvine

• Kelsie Chesnut, University of California, Irvine

• Melissa Barragan, University of California, Irvine