Behind the Gun: Read the project about firearms deaths in Wisconsin here

Gun deaths have doubled in Wisconsin since 2004, a trend being driven by suicides, especially in the rural parts of the state, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found.

Over the course of a year, the Journal Sentinel examined the full extent of gun deaths in Wisconsin. It conducted a first-of-its-kind effort to obtain gun death data from every county, talked to dozens of gun owners about their experiences with firearms, and conducted the most in-depth survey of gun owners in Wisconsin to date.

The team, led by reporter John Diedrich, found that Milwaukee County does not have the highest gun death rate in the state when suicides are included. The project also highlighted efforts among gun owners to reduce suicides, for instance, a grassroots program by gun stores to temporarily hold firearms for people during a crisis.

And the poll of Wisconsin gun owners found that more are getting guns for self-defense and that a majority of them keep their firearms locked.

Explore the stories here:

Diedrich did the project through the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University. He was assisted by Marquette student researchers Alex Rivera Grant and Ben Schultz.

Marquette University and administrators of the program played no role in the reporting, editing or presentation of this project.

Project credits

Contributing reporter: Natalie Eilbert, Alex Rivera Grant, Ben Schultz

Data analysis, graphics: Andrew Hahn, Daphne Chen, Kevin Crowe, Eva Wen

Photos, video: Mike De Sisti, Bill Schulz

Story editing: Greg Borowski

Photo editing: Sherman Williams, Berford Gammon

Copy editing: Ray Hollnagel, Pete Sullivan

Design: Kyle Slagle

Social media: Ridah Syed

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Behind the Gun: Read the project about firearms deaths in Wisconsin