Statement by ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach on The Faces of Gun Violence Exhibit and Kiosk
The Faces of Gun Violence exhibit and kiosk is about the lives of real people and about the heart of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), an agency sworn to protect them.
Every single day in the United States, more than 100 people lose their lives through firearms violence. And many more are injured, often very seriously. At ATF, we work every single day to seek justice for the victims and survivors of gun crime. ATF knows firsthand that this violence is not about statistics—it is about human beings.
It is about the lives of victims and survivors and the lives of those they touch. It is about empty seats at holiday meals and birthdays never celebrated. Those thoughts drive the brave people at ATF every day.
That is what The Faces of Gun Violence exhibit and kiosk are all about.
It’s about continuously lifting up the lives, the stories, and the courage of those who have been impacted by firearms violence. It’s about inspiring ATF and all our law enforcement partners in their constant mission to save lives and seek justice, often at great risk to themselves. It’s about offering victims and survivors a space in the center of ATF headquarters where lives lost and impacted by this violence are commemorated, because the fight for them is at the center of what we do.
The faces included in this exhibit represent a small fraction of the many real victims and survivors of firearms violence. Less than those who perish every single day in the United States, sadly.
These people are not numbers. They are our brothers, our sisters, our parents, our children, and our friends. They are members of our communities.
We invite family members to submit photographs of their loved ones who have been killed by gun violence to be considered for inclusion in ATF’s The Faces of Gun Violence exhibit and kiosk.
ATF will never give up in its quest to seek justice, and we will never forget to lift up the lives and voices of those we seek to protect.
ATF Director Steven M. Dettelbach
ATF encourages family members to submit photographs of loved ones killed by gun violence to be considered for inclusion in The Faces of Gun Violence exhibit and kiosk.
Criteria for The Faces of Gun Violence Submissions
ATF has created a special exhibit and kiosk, The Faces of Gun Violence, to commemorate the lives lost from gun violence. The following are the criteria for submitting a photograph for ATF’s consideration for the exhibit and kiosk.
- Photographs are limited to individuals killed by gun violence.
- Photographs must be submitted by immediate family members—parents, siblings, or children.
- Photographs of victims under 18 years old must be submitted by parent(s) or legal guardians.
- Photographs must be submitted with the decedent’s name, age at passing, and an obituary and the family relationship between submitter and the decedent. Photographs submitted must be owned by the submitter.
- Information accompanying photographs and stories submitted should not include personally identifiable information (“PII”) of anyone other than the deceased person and the submitter who is consenting to its use.
How to Submit
If you would like to submit a photo of a loved one lost to gun violence, please email their name, age, and a photograph for ATF’s consideration to FacesOfGunViolence@atf.gov.
Ensure you completely fill out and attach the Disclaimer Notice and Consent.
DISCLAIMER
*BY SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHS FOR ATF’S CONSIDERATION AND SHARING ANY RELATED INFORMATION, YOU AUTHORIZE ATF TO USE THESE MATERIALS WITHOUT LIMITATION. ATF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY SUBMISSION FOR ANY REASON.
