This paper argues that Hollywood has long functioned as an influential, largely unregulated vehicle for normalising and marketing firearms by associating them with heroism, masculinity and power, with evidence suggesting these portrayals shape public attitudes towards guns and warrant greater public health scrutiny and regulatory transparency.

President Trump’s second term has marked an aggressive rollback of gun control measures, replacing public health approaches with a hardline pro-gun agenda that AOAV warns poses a serious threat to domestic safety and international norms on arms regulation.

This report analyses how media and political narratives shape responses to gun massacres in the UK, US, and Australia, highlighting contrasting public health, criminal justice, and regulatory framings in the cases of Dunblane, Las Vegas, and Port Arthur.

The Bruen decision has triggered a wave of challenges to federal gun laws, putting key regulations like red flag laws, background checks, and bans on high-capacity firearms at risk.

The Supreme Court’s recent history-based rulings on the Second Amendment have left lower courts struggling to interpret gun laws, creating confusion and inconsistency in addressing modern gun violence.

Senators Angus King and Martin Heinrich introduce a groundbreaking bill targeting firearm functionality over aesthetics to address gun violence.