What may qualify
A reported incident may be included when available evidence indicates that a person used or presented a firearm in response to an apparent threat to a person or property. Inclusion is a classification of the reported event, not a legal finding that every action was justified.
What does not automatically qualify
Firearm possession alone, an arrest involving a firearm, an accidental discharge, ordinary sporting use, or an event with no identifiable defensive action should not automatically be counted as defensive gun use.
Verification states
Records may be labeled Verified, Partially Verified, Under Review, Disputed, or Retracted. The database should preserve source links and a revision history.
Neutral treatment of uncertain facts
If accounts conflict, the record should describe the disagreement instead of selecting the version that best supports a predetermined conclusion.