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Acoustic Evidence
May 6, 2026
As SVP of Forensic Services at SoundThinking, I talked a lot about the value of acoustic evidence. It also gave me the pleasure ...
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A Rogue and Vagabond
April 25, 2026
Perhaps “Lock Me Up” would’ve been a better title than “Where is GizWop?” for this song. J’Quan Baker can’t stay out of trouble. ...
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In Hard Copy
April 15, 2026
Received my hard copies in the mail. ICYMI, my article on silencers was published in American University Washington College of Law’s The Criminal ...
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Snowstorm Burritos
March 27, 2026
This is a story about great legal training. But it starts with a snowstorm and McDonald’s breakfast burritos. Monday, March 3, 2014. Federal ...
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AP on Straw Purchases
March 25, 2026
“Thomas Chittum, a former ATF official and a University of Nevada-Las Vegas adjunct law professor, said the relationship between federal authorities and gun ...
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CNB Economic Advisory Board
March 9, 2026
I was invited to be on Citizens National Bank of Somerset’s 2026 Economic Advisory Committee. Very cool of Shawn Daugherty to think of ...
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Evolving Legal Definition of “Firearm”
February 25, 2026
How is an inline muzzleloader like a taser? Read “The Evolving Legal Definition of ‘Firearm’” to find out. Thanks to the University of ...
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Don’t Go It Alone
February 12, 2026
Summer 1997. I walked into Pam’s No. 1 (IYKYK). I walked out a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. I’ve belonged ...
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Nancy Guthrie Search
February 11, 2026
I joined Chris Jansing today to discuss potential leads investigators may be following in the search for Nancy Guthrie. Terrible situation. My heart ...
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Warlocker Podcast
January 24, 2026
We covered a lot in this 90-minute podcast. —ATF and its politics, and why I think the acronym could stand for “America’s Toughest ...
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Gunfire on NYE
December 31, 2025
It’s NYE. Don’t shoot!! I spoke to reporter Pat Loeb about America’s long history with celebratory gunfire. Listen to the KYW Newsradio story ...
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Arms in Ukraine
December 14, 2025
“Let me guess…this isn’t about the alcohol or tobacco.” That awesome line is delivered by the global arms dealer played by Nicolas Cage ...
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Making Bombs
December 13, 2025
I know how to build bombs. I could teach you (but I’d have to charge).* Is that legal? I read The Anarchist Cookbook ...
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He’s No Ocean’s 11!
December 5, 2025
A man brazenly robbed a casino in Las Vegas last month and fled on a bicycle. Ocean’s 11, he’s not! To help answer ...
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National Guard Ambush
December 3, 2025
I’ve always been a proud West Virginian so I was particularly upset to learn that the National Guard soldiers ambushed in DC were ...
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Porn or Mayberry?
November 22, 2025
I debated whether to start this post with the porn…or Andy Griffith. Mayberry won. I’ve always loved The Andy Griffith Show. There are ...
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Slang for “Gun”
November 15, 2025
I know a lot of slang terms for firearms: gat, heater, strap, piece, jammy, roscoe, iron, chopper, smoke wagon, hog leg. Those are ...
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A Modern Problem?
November 11, 2025
Gun crime feels like a modern problem. Some days it dominates headlines. But one of my favorite aspects of studying the law is ...
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USSC 2025 Amendments
November 1, 2025
Want to sell some illegal machinegun conversion devices? You should’ve done it yesterday. That’s because the United States Sentencing Commission’s 2025 amendments take ...
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No Body Armor for Violent Felons
October 30, 2025
The arrest described in this NY Post article presents an opportunity to highlight a subtle distinction in federal criminal law. The story notes ...
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The Dog-Owning Shooter
October 28, 2025
The case of this dog-owning shooter reveals something about California drug laws. San Francisco police responded to a ShotSpotter alert and found a ...
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SCOTUS, Drugs, and Guns
October 21, 2025
This is pretty exciting. SCOTUS is going to weigh in on marijuana users possessing firearms. We could use some clarity on how far ...
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Firearms & Estate Planning
October 14, 2025
When it comes to estate planning, guns are not like jewelry or tools. Instead, they raise a host of unique legal issues, including ...
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CNN: Investigation of Explosion
October 14, 2025
“‘The problem in this scene is that it is complete devastation,’ Chittum said.” I spoke with Rebekah Riess at CNN about the difficult, ...
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CNN: Tennessee Explosion
October 10, 2025
I spoke with CNN about the preliminary activities at the scene of the devastating explosion in Tennessee this morning, and the complications authorities ...
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Anniversary of 1-October
October 2, 2025
Yesterday was the eighth anniversary of the “1 October” Mass shooting in Las Vegas. I spoke with reporter Will Silverstein about its impact ...
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Securing Outdoor Venues
September 14, 2025
The nature of security threats evolve, and the strategies, tactics, and technologies for dealing with them must evolve, too. In the wake of ...
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MSNBC on Charlie Kirk’s Murder
September 14, 2025
I spoke with Chris Jansing about the firearm used to kill Charlie Kirk, the role of video and biological evidence, and some of ...
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USA Today on Kirk Murder Weapon
September 14, 2025
I’m sickened, and saddened for our Nation. Free speech and non-violence are not partisan issues. Regardless of one’s politics, anyone who values free ...
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Las Vegas Coverage of Minn. School Shooting
August 29, 2025
“Chittum’s expertise in firearms and law enforcement provides valuable insights into the complexities of the case.” Well that’s very flattering. I’m always grateful ...
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MSNBC Report on Minn. School Shooting
August 27, 2025
Terrible news in Minneapolis today. I spoke to MSNBC about some of the questions investigators will try to answer. Watch a clip of ...
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CNN: mental health & guns
August 10, 2025
“The Supreme Court has not ruled on the issue of red flag laws, which is still an emerging area of law, Chittum said.” ...
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CNN Story on NYC Shooting
August 2, 2025
There’s a lot of nuance to gun law. I spoke with CNN reporter Emma C. Tucker about mental health, private sales, licensing, and ...
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8 News Now: NYC Mass Shooting
August 1, 2025
In the wake of the terrible shooting in NYC this week, I spoke with investigative reporter Kyle Paine, on 8 News Now, to ...
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Restoring Gun Rights
June 24, 2025
“The devil is in the details—and this budget proposal is short on those,” said Thomas Chittum, a former associate director at the ATF. ...
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CBS News Report on DOJ Cuts
June 17, 2025
“No one becomes a seasoned investigator overnight.” I appeared on CBS News this evening with Scott McFarlane to offer my view on the ...
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No warrant for gun owner DNA
June 13, 2025
Police tackle two people and a gun falls to the floor. One is a felon, one isn’t. Whose is it? That’s the question ...
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Chittum Law is Live!
June 1, 2025
Tom Chittum is a world-class problem solver. His firm, Chittum Law, is built on his deep experience with investigations, government operations, federal law, ...
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Report: Mexican Cartels Fuel Firearms Trafficking
May 26, 2025
“It’s all that other context that you have to use to prove this thing that on paper appears legal was a crime,” Thomas ...
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CNN – Laura Coates Live
April 29, 2025
I appeared on CNN’s ‘Laura Coates Live’ to explain how forensics can connect firearms to crimes; whether 3D-printed guns make that harder; and ...
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Ghost guns ‘used more and more often,’ sheriff says
April 27, 2025
Like most places, Las Vegas has its share of illegal guns. I was happy to discuss one source of them in this piece ...
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The 80s’ Creepiest Song
April 25, 2025
Perhaps the creepiest song of the 1980s was “Into the Night.” The opening lyric: “She’s just 16 years old, leave her alone they ...
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Real-Time Crime Index Update
April 23, 2025
ICYMI (and are interested in better crime stats), here’s a link to a conversation I recently had with David Hatten about the Real ...
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Attempted Assassin Travels by Air
April 11, 2025
Here’s an interesting side note to this would-be assassin’s plan to kill a Supreme Court Justice: He carefully followed the law on traveling ...
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My LinkedIn Activity
April 1, 2025
For years now, I’ve been an active contributor of posts to LinkedIn that I hope were both engaging and informative. Now that I ...
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ATF’s National Firearms & Commerce Report
January 9, 2025
As I drafted the opening line of this post, I didn’t intend to make a pun…but there is a lot of mental firepower ...
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Garrity & Kalkines
March 13, 2024
Everyone knows ‘Miranda’ but if you know ‘Garrity’ and ‘Kalkines’ you were probably in (or investigated by) Internal Affairs. Not all investigations of ...
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Defense Attorneys Get a Bad Rap
May 12, 2023
Defense attorneys get a bad rap. I’ve said many times before that the men and women on the front lines of law enforcement ...
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Felons & Body Armor
May 25, 2022
This article by The Associated Press originally said, “It’s illegal under federal law for a convicted felon to buy body armor.” [See the ...
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History Repeats Itself
February 26, 2022
History repeats itself but each time it does, leadership determines the path it will take. Years ago, I attended Leadership & Command training ...
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