UPDATED Permit forms would need "affirmation" that applicants and their household members do not have mental disorders.

Massachusetts and New York are not far behind, while Alaska has the highest gun death rate.

Thousands more have gone to emergency rooms after encounters with officers, costing millions of dollars.

Gun control groups have made a tactical shift away from an assault weapons ban.

Not coincidentally, less than 10 percent of island households have firearms.

An interactive map compares the counties in the 50 U.S. states, courtesy a WaPo blogger.

Hawaii filed brief supporting U.S. position on 'straw purchasers.'

The federal agency tracks guns that law enforcement agencies recover and trace during criminal investigations.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tracks data on guns found during criminal investigations.

The department won't provide a detailed explanation for the apparent spike in use of force incidents over the past few years. Police officials say flawed reporting procedures are partially to blame but won't talk about the annual reports.