Youth and legal uses of guns

Series produced by Y-Press

Caption: Morrigan Sanders, 2009, Credit: Oleg Volk
Image by: Oleg Volk 
Morrigan Sanders, 2009 

An original radio series about Indiana teens who use guns for hunting, target shooting and home protection.

This summer, the country has been shaken by tragic stories involving guns: the killer at the screening of a Batman movie in Colarado, the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the man who murdered a former coworker outside of the Empire State Building. But for some Indiana youth, legal, non-violent gun use is part of growing up.

The idea for a radio series on legal gun use came out of another Y-Press series on teens' access to guns (which can also be found on PRX). While the first series was to focus mainly on how teens accessed and used guns illegally, we had planned to include one story about recreational gun use. However, we soon realized that legal gun use deserved its own four-part series.

In preparation for their reporting, Y-Press journalists researched the laws regulating minors' use of guns in Indiana, and talked with experts on gun safety training. They spoke with teen hunters, whose experiences helped them bond with family members and feel more mature. Then the team visited a marskmanship clinic where a 15 year-old girl was instructing adults. Finally, they interviewed youth whose parents have taught them how to handle guns for home protection.

This series was aired on WFYI (90.1 FM), Central Indiana's NPR affiliate station, in August of 2012. Hide full description

This summer, the country has been shaken by tragic stories involving guns: the killer at the screening of a Batman movie in Colarado, the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the man who murdered a former coworker outside of the Empire State Building. But for some Indiana youth, legal, non-violent gun use is part of growing up. The idea for a radio series on legal gun use came out of another Y-Press series on teens' access to guns (which can also be found on PRX). While the first series was to focus mainly on how teens accessed and used guns illegally, we had planned to include one story about recreational gun use. However, we soon realized that legal gun use deserved its own four-part series. In preparation for their reporting, Y-Press journalists researched the laws regulating... Show full description


4 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Caption: Dillon Paul with Smith & Wesson semi-automatic shotgun, Credit: submitted photo
While news stories about youth and guns usually involve death or injury, some Hoosiers believe that when young people learn to use firearms safely...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2012
  • Length: 03:09
Caption: Bekie Stergar with the her kill. Brown County, Indiana, 2011. Gun pictured is a 22 caliber rifle. , Credit: submitted photo
For teens, hunting can be a right of passage and a way to bond with family members. Allison Albrecht, 13, speaks with two teen hunters from Central...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2012
  • Length: 03:24
Caption: Project Appleseed students take aim.  Instructor Kate Bixler is in yellow at right., Credit: Peter Shirley, Y-Press
Indiana youth can attend a 4-H shooting sports program or a conservation camp with the Department of Natural Resources to learn gun safety and how ...

  • Added: Aug 28, 2012
  • Length: 03:26
Caption: Sam, 2012, Credit: Keenen Brannon, Y-Press
Last month In Florida, 17-year-old Thorin Montgomery and three friends were playing Russian Roulette with a .38 caliber revolver on his back porch....

Bought by KRZA


  • Added: Aug 28, 2012
  • Length: 03:31
  • Purchases: 1