The Smart Tech Challenges Foundation Weekly Firearms Safety Summary aggregates the top firearms safety stories of the week.

5. FLAG THIS AS IMPORTANT: Just before the weekend, The Washington Post’s editorial board wrote a piece about the now notorious photograph of accused murderer and racist, Dylan Roof, holding a Confederate flag in one of his hands. And though the national debate after the Charleston shooting on June 17 has focused on the venerability of the Confederate flag, there has been very little discussion about concrete solutions to gun violence in America. The op-ed reads: “Mr. Roof has something in his other hand that the country should be more focused on: a handgun.” Without any clear rhetoric about seriously addressing incidents of mass shootings, one can only wonder when the time will come to finally walk the walk. (WaPo)

4. GUNS AND SELF DEFENSE IN NUMBERS: Just hours before the Charleston shooting last week, the Violence Policy Center released a fresh analysis of crime and health data that unearths just how often potential victims are able to defend themselves with a gun in the face of clear and present danger. Looking at 2012, the study counted 259 justifiable gun-related homicides or incidents in which the authorities ruled that killings occurred in self-defense. In 2012, there were 1.2 million violent crimes or as the LA Times described, “1.2 million scenarios in which there was potential for someone to kill in self-defense.” (The Los Angeles Times)

3. THE COST OF GUN VIOLENCE: In its May/June issue, Mother Jones conducted a special investigation into the realm of gun violence in the U.S. and concluded that each year, guns kill 33,000 Americans and injures 80,000. The total annual cost of this kind of violence totals $229 billion, with $6.8 billion going toward direct costs (e.g. police response, hospital fees, prison costs, etc.) and the remaining $221 billion going to indirect costs. Also, the study revealed that guns are used in 70% of homicides and more than 50% of suicides in the United States. More than 80% of suicide attempts with a gun are successful. The depth of this story underlines the daunting issue of gun violence in America, and raises greater alarm for a pressing need to address these astounding issues.  (Mother Jones)

2. RESTRICTIONS ON GUN VIOLENCE STUDIES RESTRICT OUR KNOWLEDGE: Last Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday rejected, 19-32, an amendment that would allow for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the underlying causes of gun violence. It has been almost ten years since the CDC has done any research on the causes and effects of gun violence in America. In 1996 the National Rifle Association accused the CDC of trying to use science to promote gun control, and ever since there has been a moratorium on funding this kind of research. Democrats argue that the CDC would be conducting health research that could stand to benefit the millions of Americans affected by gun violence each year, while Republicans worries that any such research might encourage restrictions on guns. Either way, without widespread research on gun violence, the American public remains in the dark. (POLITICO)

1. DOESN’T DETROIT MATTER?: In the wake of the mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina last week, it can be easy to forget all else. But what isn’t covered by the national press still cannot be forgotten. Detroit, Michigan suffered from a terrible spout of gun violence in the past ten days. Two weekends ago, twelve people, including one gunman, were shot in a “retaliation-style” mass shooting in northwest Detroit. Gunfire erupted in a crowd of about 400 people, with a reported 47 shots fired from at least three guns. Eleven were injured and one of the gunmen was killed. This past weekend, there were multiple shootings throughout the city, with the youngest victim as young as 14, and the eldest being 29. On Friday, four people were shot at a block party that was attended by about 100, and on Sunday, two separate shootings left a total of six people injured. (The Detroit News)