1. James V. Grimaldi www.washingtonpost.com/guns www.facebook.com/wpjamesvgrimaldi grimaldij@washpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/guns www.facebook.com/wpjamesvgrimaldi grimaldij@washpost.com

2. Eight days in October, November and December www.washingtonpost.com/guns www.washingtonpost.com/guns THE TEAM Four Washington Post Investigative Reporters and Two Researchers Editor Photographer + Videographer Web project manager Digital journalists: cartographer, graphic designer, database developer

3. Media Elements Print stories and photos Web stories and photo galleries Web videos – seven segments produced Interactive graphics Database of gun dealers

5. Goal of the Project: Break the Secrecy U.S. Congress eight years ago exempts from the Freedom of Information Act a database that traced guns used in crimes back to dealers. Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), primary sponsor of provision

6. The Blackout The Tiahrt Amendment silenced media investigations into gun stores, firearms trafficking and crime trends Assignment from our editor Jeff Leen: Break the secrecy

7. How We Broke the Secrecy Compiled a list of 511 police officers killed by firearms and traced 30 cop-killer weapons. Obtained lists of the top 12 gun dealers in the past two years who have sold the most weapons traced from Mexican crime scenes

8. The Work: Research Areas * How do criminals get guns? * How do cop killers get guns? * Gun trafficking in the United States and to Mexico * The ATF, NRA & the politics of guns

9. PG Firearms Examination logs After seizing guns, police test fire, analyze and log data FOIA’d unpublicized databases from DC and PG Firearms Exams Units. First Breakthrough: Prince George’s Data

10. Realco: Where DC crooks go to buy guns -2,500 guns traced to Realco -The next biggest, active dealer had 600.

11. How Day One Appeared in Print

12. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/index.html VIDEO STORY TELLING The life of a crime gun

13. Trafficking to Mexico 30,000 deaths in Mexican drug wars 9 of 10 guns from U.S. stores – ATF

14. Multimedia Storytelling Post reporter video training in early 2000s Trip planned to Houston for Mexico story Interview with wife of slain police officer Federal official won’t go on camera (audio only) Obtained jailhouse interview through Texas public records request

15. Video from Texas Focus on Carter’s Country gun stores in Houston Obtained suspect confession in cop killing Interviewed wife of police officer Under public records request, we obtained the video of his confession to police http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/arming-mexicos-drug- cartels/?sid=ST2010121203267

16. List of Dealers Most Guns Found at Mexican Crime Scenes

17. The National List

18. National Rifle Association Lobbying The NRA in two decades spent more than $100 million on political activities, ¾ donations, ¼ lobbying.

19. PRINT GRAPHIC: Lobbying influence Lobbying reports, campaign contributions

20. INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: NRA Donations Endorsements http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/guns/nra-endorsements-campaign-spending/

21. Interactive Idea Copied from Tea Party Endorsement Graphic http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/tea-party-endorsement- results/

22. What Interactive Shows Amount of money donated by National Rifle Association to every U.S. politician The politician’s NRA rating (A, B, C, F) Who the NRA endorsed Whether the candidate won or lost (Red for Republican; Blue for Democrat)