This dissertation studies the development of the gun violence prevention movement in the United States. The dissertation is an article-based compilation that consists of four peer-reviewed articles. The articles trace the movement from its beginning in the 1960s to today and examine 1) how the movement has defined and framed the issue of gun violence, 2) the types of actions and goals members of the movement have employed and articulated, and 3) the shifting political, historical, and cultural context that has shaped the political opportunities available to advocates. The analysis in the articles is based primarily on materials collected during three fieldwork periods conducted in Austin, Texas (2018, 2019, 2021–2022). Newspaper articles, social media posts, adverts, podcasts, white papers, a documentary related a youth-led gun violence prevention movements, and media reporting on mass shootings complement written testimonials, non-participant and participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. Considering the findings of the articles under the broader theoretical framework of political process theory (Tilly & Tarrow, 2015), the dissertation argues that gun violence prevention has developed in three related and overlapping but distinct cycles: gun violence as crime, gun violence as disease, and gun violence as insecurity. Furthermore, exploring the three cycles through defining key events, groups, and political opportunities, the dissertation makes three claims. First, that definitions about gun violence have moved toward a much more comprehensive understanding of the problem. Second, that strategies have changed from issue advocacy by interest groups at the federal level toward active resistance at a local, grassroots level. Third, that political opportunities for gun violence prevention have been broadened as a result of engagement outside the state institutions. The dissertation considers more broadly why gun control has mostly failed in the United States and makes an argument for the possibilities that local level grassroots activism holds for social movements contending with culturally polarizing issues.