Precious Lives

Stories about kids, guns and how to stop the violence. Precious Lives, created by 371 Productions, is a 2-year, 100-part weekly radio series about gun violence and young people in the Milwaukee area. The series applies a public health lens to each story to help listeners understand the full scope of the problem: who are the victims and the shooters; how are the weapons obtained; and what can we change about the environment that contributes to violence in Milwaukee?

#085 Precious Lives: Tragedy Inspires a Fight for Universal Background Checks

WUWM 89.7 FM | By Bridgit Bowden

Published August 30, 2016 at 11:55 AM CDT

Elvin Daniel has become an outspoken activist for what he calls sensible gun laws — including universal background checks — since his sister was killed in a mass shooting at a Brookfield, Wis. spa in 2012.";s:

Last year in Milwaukee, close to 70 percent of gun homicide suspects possessed their guns illegally.

They wouldn’t have passed a background check. That was the case with Radcliffe Haughton.

Four years ago, he walked he into the Azana Spa with a semiautomatic handgun, killing three people and injuring four more.

Elvin Daniel lost his sister Zina that day, and it challenged his views on gun ownership laws.

Now, he’s committed to lobbying for universal background checks.

Corresponding Content:

Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism - Strong Public Support Fails to Move Wisconsin on Gun Background Checks