The Living Record
An Archive of Stories from America’s Gun Violence Crisis.
Gun violence is often discussed in data points and daily news cycles. But behind every statistic is a life changed forever: a survivor navigating trauma, a family grieving, a community reshaped.
The Living Record is an archive created to hold those experiences. It exists to ensure that the people who have lived through gun violence — and those who love them — are seen, heard, and remembered in their own words, not flattened by the crisis around them.
This project reframes how the country understands gun violence: not as a distant policy issue, but as a lived reality carried by millions. Every story is a representation to resilience, loss, love, and the deep human cost of a crisis that touches nearly every corner of America.
Share your story.
If you or someone you love has been impacted by gun violence, you can contribute to The Living Record.
How It Works.
A growing archive of lived experience.
The Living Record collects personal stories from survivors, family members, friends, and community members impacted by gun violence. Anyone whose life has been touched by this crisis can choose to contribute.
Storytelling rooted in care and consent.
Submissions are handled with sensitivity. Contributors choose whether their stories remain private, are shared anonymously, or become part of public-facing projects. Nothing is shared without explicit permission.
A foundation for campaigns, education, and cultural change.
These stories help shape future creative projects, advocacy work, and public understanding. They provide depth, truth, and lived context to the work of building a safer America.
why it matters.
Gun violence doesn’t just take lives — it alters them. Yet the experiences of those who survive, grieve, and rebuild are often overlooked or forgotten. The Living Record pushes back against that erasure.
By preserving these stories, we help the country understand the crisis not as an abstract threat, but as a daily reality woven into families and communities. Each story is a reminder of what safety should mean: care, connection, and the freedom to live without fear.
In building this archive together, we refuse to let the nation look away, and we lay the groundwork for compassion, action, and lasting change.
