Blood Gun Money

Archival Summary & Scope

"An eye-opening and riveting account of how guns make it into the black market and into the hands of criminals and drug lords."--Adam Winkler

In *Blood Gun Money*, Maria Moors Cabot Prize winner Ioan Grillo (*El Narco*) presents a groundbreaking investigation into the illicit firearms trade fueling violence across the Americas. Grillo connects the often-separated issues of gun control and the drug trade, revealing how legal guns transition into the black market to arm cartels, gangs, and criminals, contributing to both mass shootings and street violence.

Through extensive fieldwork—from gun manufacturers and shows to federal agents and inner-city streets—Grillo meticulously traces the pathways of these weapons, explaining how they make the continent the most murderous on Earth. He exposes the legislative loopholes and the powerful gun lobby that perpetuate the crisis, arguing that a shift in perspective—from guns as symbols of freedom to accessories in addiction epidemics—is essential to reframe the polarized debate.