A four-part series on the problem of illegal guns published in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Press in December 2010 was awarded third place for investigative reporting by the Michigan AP Editorial Association. 

The series, by reporter John Agar ("Guns Gone Bad"), tracked the circulation of illegal guns in Michigan and revealed that weapons stolen from legitimate
owners –but not reported---can turn up in violent crimes years later. The series also worked with an innovative web site created for the investigation, called Silent Observer, which acted as a web-based tipline for receiving information leading to the arrest of someone with an illegal gun.

The Grand Rapids Press project was one of seven special investigative reporting projects on gun violence in the Midwest supported by grants from the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College. For links to Agar's stories please see HERE.