When the Ohio Domestic Violence Network reported a jump in deaths related to domestic violence last year, my colleagues and I thought there must be a bigger story.
We decided to dig deeper, starting with a spreadsheet of homicides from the network, then cross-referencing it with news reports, obituaries, court filings, incarceration records and police reports.
We found that most of the people killed were shot and 1 in 3 shooters used a gun they weren't allowed to have under state or federal law.
Officials told us gun surrender in Ohio is like an honor system, with officers relying on victim statements and the word of people subject to protection orders to collect guns. There aren't automatic
search warrants and without concealed carry permits, which the Ohio legislature discarded in 2022, officials say there is no longer a simple way to see who has been vetted in some way.
Gun surrender isn't just a domestic violence issue. It affects all kinds of gun crime.
Reporters from across the USA TODAY Network Ohio, including Victoria Moorwood, Laura Bischoff, Bryce Buyakie, Bailey Gallion and Amy Knapp, requested records and followed up on homicide cases.
We talked to a sheriff, a judge, state legislators and reached out to lobbyists to find out why the gun surrender law in Ohio works as it does and what might be done to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why we looked into domestic violence and gun surrender law in Ohio
