When a woman is found shot to death in her apartment, Detectives Benson and Stabler discover 14-year-old Nathan Phelps, traumatized and hiding in the closet. The investigation leads the detectives to Ted Carthage, the head of a charity organization, and whose voice Nathan recognizes as belonging to the man who shot his mother. Without a positive I.D., Carthage is released, but later found dead, shot by Nathan. A.D.A. Novak must prosecute Nathan and attempts to give him a break when his attorney Sophie Devere finds a study that suggests people who witness gun violence are more likely to commit acts of violence themselves. But their plan to settle with a plea is disrupted when a gun manufacturer's advocacy group catches wind of the defense, fearing legal implications.