Sam Searles | WHYY
Sam Searles covers gun violence and prevention for WHYY News.
Prior to joining WHYY, Searles was an on-air reporter for Suffolk University/New England Cable News and a contributor to Framingham Source, a news site covering Framingham, Massachusetts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a broadcast concentration from Suffolk University.
When she’s not reporting, she loves the performing arts, gardening, and getting her dog out of trouble.
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Controversial “Stand Your Ground” laws have existed in the United States since 2005. Pennsylvania adopted their own rules in 2011. In essence, the law allows gun owners the right to protect their property with a gun. -
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is a co-founder of the newly-formed Senate Gun Violence Prevention Caucus. Menendez, along with California Sen. Barbara Lee introduced legislation this week meant to change the laws surrounding federal gun data. WHYY’s Sam Searles has more.
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Following in Philadelphia’s footsteps and in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols, Memphis, Tennessee, is poised to pass its own Driving Equality Act.
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As gun violence continues to increase in the city, community members are signing up to learn first aid to “Stop the Bleed.” Staff and members of the Nicetown-Tioga library recently gathered for a class. WHYY’s Sam Searles was there.
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Gun violence is already emerging as a top issue in the 2023 race for Philadelphia’s next mayor. WHYY’s two gun violence reporters talked to candidates about how they plan to tackle the problem.
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Drill music, a subgenre of hip hop from Chicago’s South Side, emerged in the early 2010s. New York City mayor Eric Adams came out against it last year, and in Philadelphia it’s been the subject of criminal cases.
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Red flag laws remove weapons from individuals deemed by a judge to be a harm to themselves or others. After the federal passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Pennsylvania and other states are under pressure to adopt their own red flag laws and receive millions of dollars in funding.
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Pennsylvania Congressman Dwight Evans and Pennsylvania State Senator Art Haywood are pushing for the state to pass of a “Red Flag Law”. The new federal gun law passed last week gives states like Pennsylvania an incentive to do so. WHYY's Sam Searles has more.
