In Bogalusa, Louisiana, gun violence has become a public health crisis, disproportionately impacting Black residents and leaving families shattered. Nineteen-year-old Tajdryn Forbes was shot and killed just weeks before he planned to leave the town. His death is one of many in a community where the violent crime rate is nearly twice the national average.
Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., with young Black males suffering the highest toll. In 2023, more Black boys and men aged 15 to 24 were killed by guns than by the next 15 leading causes of death combined. “It has all the markers of an epidemic,” said Boston University’s Jonathan Jay. “Gun violence does not get the attention it deserves. It is underrecognized because it disproportionately impacts Black and brown people.”
Despite the crisis, federal efforts to curb gun violence have been rolled back. The Trump administration repealed Biden-era policies aimed at regulating gun dealers and cut $820 million in grants for violence prevention. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s advisory declaring gun violence a public health emergency was removed within weeks of Trump’s inauguration.
Meanwhile, the firearm industry thrives. With nearly 78,000 licensed gun dealers and record profits, political donations from gun manufacturers continue to influence policy. “People look at the demographic risk for firearm homicide and say, ‘Not my people, not my problem,’” said UC-Davis professor Garen Wintemute.
See: “Guns, Race, and Profit: The Pain of America’s Other Epidemic” (August 19, 2025)
