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In May of 2015 [[Carolyn Maloney]] introduced H.R.2380, also referred to as the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015. As of June 26th it has been referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wheeler|first1=Lydia|title=Bill would require background checks for private sales at gun shows|url=http://thehill.com/regulation/242538-bill-would-require-background-checks-for-private-sales-at-gun-show|accessdate=8 September 2015|publisher=The Hill|date=May 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=H.R.2380 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2380|website=Congress.gov|publisher=Congressional Research Service|accessdate=8 September 2015}}</ref>
In May of 2015 [[Carolyn Maloney]] introduced H.R.2380, also referred to as the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015. As of June 26th it has been referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wheeler|first1=Lydia|title=Bill would require background checks for private sales at gun shows|url=http://thehill.com/regulation/242538-bill-would-require-background-checks-for-private-sales-at-gun-show|accessdate=8 September 2015|publisher=The Hill|date=May 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=H.R.2380 - Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015|url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2380|website=Congress.gov|publisher=Congressional Research Service|accessdate=8 September 2015}}</ref>

In a mixed decision on September 18, 2015 a three-member panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that several parts of Washington, D.C.’s gun registration laws violate the Second Amendment. In all, the court upheld six gun laws and struck down four. The National Rifle Association, stated the decision "is an important step in bringing gun ownership within reach to more of D.C.'s upstanding residents." According to the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence only six states and the District require gun owners to register some or all firearms.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kopel|first1=David|title=D.C. gun registration law ruled partly unconstitutional|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/09/18/d-c-gun-registration-law-ruled-unconstitutional/|accessdate=22 September 2015|publisher=Washington Post|date=September 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Hananel|first1=Sam|title=Court Quashes Some District of Columbia Gun Laws|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/dc-gun-laws-appeals-court-strikes-33862089|accessdate=22 September 2015|agency=AP Washington|publisher=ABC News|date=September 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wheeler|first1=Lydia|title=Court strikes down DC gun regs in mixed ruling|url=http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/254195-us-court-of-appeals-strikes-down-some-dc-gun-laws|accessdate=22 September 2015|publisher=The Hill|date=September 18, 2015}}</ref>


==Legislation==
==Legislation==

Revision as of 18:38, 22 September 2015


Private seller holding a rifle at a gun show

Gun show loophole is a political term in the United States referring to sales of firearms by private sellers, including those done at gun shows, and the secondary market.[1] The loophole refers to a perceived gap in the law with regard to sales or transfers of firearms between private citizens.[2] The term may also be referred to as the Brady Law loophole and the private sale loophole. Under federal law, private-party sellers are not required to perform background checks of buyers to verify that the buyer is not prohibited from possessing a firearm. Private sellers are also not required to record the sale or ask for identification. Federal law prohibits private individuals from selling a firearm to a resident of another state, or to someone they know, or have reason to believe, is prohibited from owning a firearm.[3] As of August 2013, 33 states do not require background checks for sales of firearms by private individuals, while 17 states and Washington, D.C. do require background checks for some or all private firearm sales.[4] This is in contrast to sales by gun stores and other Federal Firearms License holders, who are required by federal law to perform background checks of all buyers, and to record all sales, regardless of whether the sale takes place at a gun show or not.

According to a 1999 report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) commissioned by President Bill Clinton, these legal transactions contribute to illegal activities, such as arms trafficking, purchases of firearms by prohibited buyers, and straw purchases.[5]

Generally, gun control advocates want to extend background check requirements to private sellers. Gun rights advocates say there is no loophole, and believe any federal law requiring background checks for sales of secondary market firearms between private citizens, whether at gun shows or not, would exceed the government's authority, be a prelude to gun registration, and endanger gun owners' Second Amendment rights.[6][7][8]

Seven gun show loophole bills were introduced in the U.S. House and four in the Senate between 2001 and 2013, but none were passed.

Overview

Sometimes referred to as the Brady bill loophole,[9] the Brady law loophole,[10] the gun law loophole,[11] and, more recently, the private sale loophole,[12][13] the loophole generally refers to federal and state laws that allow for legal secondary market sales and transfers of firearms, without requiring a background check, between unlicensed private parties in the United States. Private-party sellers are not legally required to ask for identification, there are no forms to fill out, and no records need be kept. Unlicensed private parties cannot initiate a background check without the help of an FFL, except in Delaware, Nevada, and Oregon, where they may do so voluntarily.[14]

In 1999, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said that these types of legal transactions contribute to illegal activities, such as arms trafficking, purchases of firearms by prohibited buyers, and straw purchases. Non-licensees are legally prohibited from selling a firearm to a non-licensed person whom the seller knows or has reasonable cause to believe is prohibited from owning a firearm, or does not reside in the state in which the seller resides.[15][16][17]

Background

In 1968, Congress passed the Gun Control Act (GCA), under which modern firearm commerce operates. The GCA mandated federal licenses for those "engaged in the business" of selling firearms, but not for private individuals who sold firearms infrequently.[18] Under the GCA, firearm dealers were prohibited from doing business anywhere except the address listed on their Federal Firearms License (FFL). It also mandated that licensed firearm dealers maintain records of sales of firearms.[18] An unlicensed person is prohibited by federal law from transferring, selling, trading, giving, transporting, or delivering a firearm to any other unlicensed person only if they know or have reasonable cause to believe the buyer does not reside in their State or is prohibited by law from purchasing or possessing firearms.[19][20]

In 1986, Congress passed the Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA), which relaxed certain controls in the GCA and permitted licensed firearm dealers to conduct business at gun shows.[nb 1] Specifically, FOPA made it legal for FFL holders to make private sales, provided the firearm was transferred to the licensee's personal collection at least one year prior to the sale. Hence, when a personal firearm is sold by an FFL holder, no background check or Form 4473 is required by federal law. According to the ATF, FFL holders are required to keep a record of such sales in a bound book.[23][24] The USDOJ said the stated purpose of FOPA was to ensure that the GCA did not "place any undue or unnecessary federal restrictions or burdens on law abiding citizens, but it opened many loopholes through which illegal gun traffickers can slip."[15][25][nb 2]

In 1993, Congress enacted the Brady Law, amending the Gun Control Act of 1968. The Brady Law instituted federal background checks on all firearm purchasers who buy from dealers (FFL). The Brady Law originally imposed an interim measure, a waiting period of 5 days before a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer may sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual. The waiting period applied only in states without an acceptable alternate system of conducting background checks on handgun purchasers. Personal transfers and sales between unlicensed Americans could also still be subject to other federal, state, and local restrictions. These interim provisions ceased to apply on November 30th, 1998.[27]

Early efforts

In 1996 the Violence Policy Center released Gun Shows in America: Tupperware® Parties for Criminals, a study that identified problems associated with gun shows.[28] The VPC study documented the effect of the 1986 "Firearms Owners' Protection Act" in regard to proliferation of gun shows, which resulted in "a readily available source of weapons and ammunition for a wide variety of criminals, as well as Timothy McVeigh and David Koresh".[29][30] According to the VPC, the utility of gun shows to dangerous individuals stems primarily from the exemption enjoyed by private sellers from the sales criteria of the Brady law, including a background check.[31]

Analyzing data from 1997, the National Institute of Justice released a report saying that among state inmates possessing a gun, fewer than 2% bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show, about 12% from a retail store or pawnshop, and 80% from family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source.[32] Attorney, and gun rights advocate for the NRA, Dave Kopel, said "gun shows are no 'loophole' in the federal laws," and that singling out guns shows was "the first step toward abolishing all privacy regarding firearms and implementing universal gun registration."[33]

On November 6, 1998, U.S. president Bill Clinton issued a memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General expressing concern about sellers at gun shows not being required to run background checks on potential buyers.[34] He called this a "loophole" and said that it made gun shows prime targets for criminals and gun traffickers. He requested recommendations on what actions the administration should take, including legislation.[15][34] The January 1999 report said that more than 4,000 gun shows are held in the U.S. annually.[15]: 1  It said that between 50 percent and 75 percent of gun show vendors are FFLs and that the "majority of vendors who attend shows sell firearms, associated accessories, and other paraphernalia."[15]: 4  The report concluded that although most sellers at gun shows are upstanding people, a few corrupt sellers could move a large quantity of firearms into high-risk hands.[15]: 17  They reported gaps in current law and recommended "extending the Brady Law to 'close the gun show loophole.'"[25] Their report also included proposals put forth by United States Attorneys which were never enacted, and include:

  1. Allowing only FFLs to sell guns at gun shows so that a background check and a firearms transaction record accompany every transaction;
  2. Strengthening the definition of “engaged in the business” by defining the terms with more precision, narrowing the exception for “hobbyists,” and lowering the intent requirement;
  3. Limiting the number of private sales permitted by an individual to a specified number per year;
  4. Requiring persons who sell guns in the secondary market to comply with the record-keeping requirements that are applicable to FFLs;
  5. Requiring all transfers in the secondary market to go through an FFL;
  6. Establishing procedures for the orderly liquidation of inventory belonging to FFLs who surrender their license;
  7. Requiring registration of non-licensed persons who sell guns;
  8. Increasing the punishment for transferring a firearm without a background check as required by the Brady Act;
  9. Requiring the gun show promoters to be licensed and maintain an inventory of all the firearms that are sold by FFLs and non-FFLs at a gun show;
  10. Requiring that one or more ATF agents be present at every gun show; and
  11. Insulating unlicensed vendors from criminal liability if they agree to have purchasers complete a firearms transaction form.

After the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, gun shows and background checks became a focus of national debate in the U.S.[35][36][37] Weeks after the Columbine shooting, Frank Lautenberg introduced a proposal to close the gun show loophole in federal law. It passed the Senate, but did not survive the House.[38] Gun control advocates wanted to extend the background check requirement to nonlicensed firearms sellers at gun shows, too.[10]

The Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, 2007 again brought discussion of the gun show loophole to the forefront of U.S. politics, even though the shooter passed a background check and purchased his weapons legally at a Virginia gun shop via a Wisconsin-based Internet dealer.[39][40] Earlier, in December 2005, a Virginia judge had directed the gunman to undergo outpatient treatment, but because he was treated as an outpatient, Virginia did not send his name to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. On April 30, 2007 the governor of Virginia issued an executive order intended to prohibit the sale of guns to anyone found to be dangerous and forced to undergo involuntary mental health treatment.[41]

Response

On May 27, 1999 Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association (NRA), testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, saying: "We think it is reasonable to provide mandatory, instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. No loopholes anywhere for anyone." LaPierre has since said that he is opposed to universal background checks.[42][43]: 118  In January 2000, Kopel said that no proposed federal law would have made any difference at Columbine since the adults who supplied the weapons were legal purchasers.[44] Efforts to reverse a key feature of FOPA by requiring criminal background checks and purchase records on private sales at gun shows were unsuccessful.[45][46] During his campaign and presidency, President George W. Bush endorsed the idea of background checks at gun shows. Bush's position was that the loophole should be closed by federal legislation since the loophole was created by previous federal legislation.[47][48][49] Some gun rights supporters said that requiring background checks for all gun show sales was the prelude to registration and that their Second Amendment rights would be jeopardized.[50]

Between Columbine and Virginia Tech, the gun-show issue largely faded from the legislative agenda.[51] Immediately following the VA. Tech shooting, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and other authorities called on lawmakers to close the gun show loophole.[52] A bill to close the gun show loophole in Virginia was submitted, but eventually killed by legislators.[53] Since then, efforts by Virginia lawmakers to close the gun show loophole have been repeatedly blocked by gun-rights advocates.[54] President Bush ordered an investigation by the U.S. Departments of Health, Education, and Justice in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings in order to make recommendations on ways the federal government can prevent such tragedies.[55] On January 8, 2008 he signed the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 into law.[56]

Later that year, Nicholas J. Johnson of the Fordham University School of Law, wrote:

"Criticisms of the 'gun show loophole' imply that federal regulations allow otherwise prohibited retail purchases ('primary market sales') of firearms at gun shows. This implication is false. The real criticism is leveled at secondary market sales by private citizens."[57]

For gun rights supporters there is no "loophole," but legal commerce under the status quo (like book fairs or car shows).[58] The NRA said that gun control supporters' objectives are to reduce gun sales and register guns.[26]

In 2009 the the U.S. Government Accountability Office published a report citing that many firearms trafficked to Mexico may be purchased through these types of private transactions, by individuals who may want to avoid background checks and records of their firearms purchases.[59][nb 3] In 2010, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence said: "Because of the gun show loophole, in most states prohibited buyers can walk into any gun show and buy weapons from unlicensed sellers with no background check. Many of these gun sellers operate week-to-week with no established place of business, traveling from gun show to gun show."[61]: 5 

Recent developments

After the July 2012 Aurora shooting in Colorado,[62] the October 2012 Azana Spa shootings in Wisconsin,[63][64] and the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, state and local debates regarding the gun show loophole resumed.[65] After the Aurora shooting, then president of the NRA, David Keene, said that such tragedies are often exploited by the media and politicians. He said, "Colorado has already closed the so-called 'loophole' and the killer didn’t buy his guns at a gun show."[66] The handgun in the Azana Spa shooting was purchased legally in a private transaction, not at a gun show.[67] The Sandy Hook shooter used weapons legally purchased by his mother.[68]: 16 [69] The head of a Minnesota gun owners group said in 2012 of a state legislator's effort to close the gun show loophole that doing so would only "impose unnecessary deprivation of liberty, hassle, delay, and cost" on the state's "legitimate gun owners."[70]

At the beginning of 2013, President Barack Obama outlined proposals regarding new gun control legislation asking congress to close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks for all firearm sales.[71][72][73] Closing the gun show loophole became part of a larger push for universal background checks to close "federal loopholes on such checks at gun shows and other private sales."[74] Some now refer to the gun show loophole as the "private sale loophole."[12][13][75]

Former governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, wrote:

"I was disappointed to see the Virginia legislature balk, largely under pressure from the NRA, at efforts to close the gun-show loophole that allows anyone to buy weapons without any background check. That loophole still exists."[76]

Garen J. Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis wrote, "There is no such loophole in federal law, in the limited sense that the law does not exempt private-party sales at gun shows from regulation that is required elsewhere."[77]: 104  Wintemute said, "The fundamental flaw in the gun show loophole proposal is its failure to address the great majority of private-party sales, which occur at other locations and increasingly over the Internet at sites where any non-prohibited person can list firearms for sale and buyers can search for private-party sellers."[77]

The NRA says that a universal background check system for gun buyers is both impracticable and unnecessary, but an effective instant check system that includes records of persons adjudicated mentally ill would prevent potentially dangerous people from getting their hands on firearms.[78] The group argues that only 10 percent of firearms are purchased on the secondary market. They also dispute the idea that the current law amounts to a gun-show loophole, pointing out that many of the people selling at gun shows are federally licensed dealers.[79]

On September 17th 2013, the day after the Washington Navy Yard Shooting, gun control activists and relatives of victims of mass shootings that occurred at Sandy Hook, Aurora, and the Oak Creek, Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting, came to Washington to protest for stricter gun control. The activists said they hoped that the Navy Yard attack's proximity to Capitol Hill would motivate lawmakers to close the gun show loophole.[80]

In May of 2015 Carolyn Maloney introduced H.R.2380, also referred to as the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act of 2015. As of June 26th it has been referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.[81][82]

In a mixed decision on September 18, 2015 a three-member panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that several parts of Washington, D.C.’s gun registration laws violate the Second Amendment. In all, the court upheld six gun laws and struck down four. The National Rifle Association, stated the decision "is an important step in bringing gun ownership within reach to more of D.C.'s upstanding residents." According to the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence only six states and the District require gun owners to register some or all firearms.[83][84][85]

Legislation

Federal "Gun Show Loophole" bills were introduced in seven consecutive Congresses: two in 2001,[86][87] two in 2004,[88][89] one in 2005,[90] one in 2007,[91] two in 2009,[92][93] two in 2011,[94][95] and one in 2013.[96] Specifically, seven gun show loophole bills were introduced in the U.S. House and four in the Senate between 2001 and 2013. None passed. On May 15th of 2015, a new bill was introduced in the House.[97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104][105]

As of August 2013, 17 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., require background checks at gun shows.[106][4] Seven states require background checks on all gun sales at gun shows: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island. Four require background checks on all handgun purchases at gun shows: Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Six require individuals to obtain a permit that involves a background check to purchase handguns: Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North Carolina. The remaining 33 states do not restrict private sales of firearms at gun shows.[107][108][109]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ According to the Council on Foreign Relations and a news report posted on the National Center for Policy Analysis' website, gun control advocates maintain that the gun show loophole appeared and was codified in FOPA.[21][22]
  2. ^ The National Rifle Association (NRA) says that the purpose of FOPA was to reduce burdens on gun dealers and record-keeping on gun owners. Chris W. Cox, chief lobbyist for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said: "To be sure, it's not a 'loophole,' because FOPA made clear no license is required to make occasional sales, exchanges or purchases of firearms for the enhancement of a personal collection or for a hobby. What some refer to as a 'loophole' is actually federal law."[26]
  3. ^ A report released in 2009 discussed the role that gun shows play in trafficking to Mexico.[60]

References

  1. ^ Wintemute, Garen. "Background checks for firearm transfers" (PDF). ucdmc.ucdavis.edu. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  2. ^ Hale, Steven (January 13, 2013). "Gun shows, Internet keep weapons flowing around background checks". Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Top 10 Frequently Asked Firearms Questions and Answers", Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Universal Background Checks & the Private Sale Loophole Policy Summary". Smart Gun Laws. Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. August 21, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  5. ^ "Gun Shows:Brady checks and crime gun traces" (PDF). atf.gov. The department of justice & The department of treasury. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  6. ^ Kopel, David B. (January 10, 2000). "The Facts About Gun Shows", Cato Institute. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  7. ^ "The Myth of the 'Gun Show Loophole'"", National Shooting Sports Foundation, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  8. ^ Sherfinski, David (January 31, 2013). "NRA head wary on background checks, wants better instant check system". The Washington Times. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  9. ^ Cole, Richard (December 20, 1993). "Brady bill loophole removes waiting: Private gun-owners can sell their guns to anyone". The News. Boca Raton, Florida. Associated Press. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Pianin, Eric; Eilperin, Juliet (June 18, 1999). "House Votes to Weaken Senate Gun Show Checks". Washington Post. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  11. ^ Cole, Richard (December 26, 1993). "Gun Law Loophole Allows Immediate Delivery, No Background Checks : Arms: Private owners can sell their weapons legally anytime, to anyone. Shows are a common sales venue". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  12. ^ a b Fisher, Kristin (December 15, 2011). "Illegal Internet Gun Sales are Soaring in Virginia". WUSA9. Retrieved February 7, 2015. These Internet sales really are the new gun shows.
  13. ^ a b Shapiro, Eliza (November 29, 2012). "Gun-Control Lobby Targets Obama, Demands Reform". Daily Beast.
  14. ^ Wintemute, Garen (2013). "Background Checks for Firearm Transfers" (PDF). UC Davis Health System. Retrieved February 16, 2015.
  15. ^ a b c d e f U.S. Department of the Treasury; U.S. Department of Justice (January 1999). "Gun Shows: Brady Checks and Crime Gun Traces" (PDF). atf.gov. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Retrieved June 27, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |name-list-format= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "DOJ1999January" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922
  17. ^ https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/27/478.30
  18. ^ a b Wintemute, Garen J.; Braga, Anthony A.; Kennedy, David M. (August 5, 2010). "Private-Party Gun Sales, Regulation, and Public Safety". The New England Journal of Medicine. 363 (6). Massachusetts Medical Society: 508–511. doi:10.1056/NEJMp1006326. PMID 20592291. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Code of Federal Regulations". Legal Information Institute, Cornell University School of Law. U.S. Federal Register. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  20. ^ "18 U.S.C. 922". Legal Information Institute, Cornell University School of Law. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  21. ^ Masters, Jonathan (July 15, 2013). "U.S. Gun Policy: Global Comparisons". cfr.org. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  22. ^ Steele, Cameron (February 15, 2013). "Sheriff Bailey, Chief Monroe: Close gun show loophole". ncpa.org. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  23. ^ "Firearms - Frequently Asked Questions - Records Required (Licensees) - ATF". atf.gov. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  24. ^ "FFL Newsletter" (PDF). Federal Firearms Licensee Information Service. February 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  25. ^ a b "History of Federal Firearms Laws in the United States Appendix C". justice.gov. Retrieved July 4, 2014. Cite error: The named reference "History-C" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
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  27. ^ "ATF: Brady Law". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ "About the VPC". VPC.org. VPC. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  29. ^ "Gun Shows in America Tupperware® Parties for Criminals". VPC.org. VPC. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  30. ^ "Gun Shows in America Tupperware® Parties for Criminals". VPC.org. VPC. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  31. ^ "Closing the Gun Show Loophole Principles for Effective Legislation". VPC.org. VPC. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  32. ^ Harlow, Caroline Wolf (November 2001). "Firearm Use by Offenders" (PDF). Bureau of Justice Statistics. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  33. ^ Kopel, Dave (July 16, 1999). "Gun Shows Under Attack". nraila.org. National Rifle Association of American Institute for Legislative Action. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  34. ^ a b Clinton, William J. (November 6, 1998). "Memorandum on Preventing Firearms Sales to Prohibited Purchasers" (PDF). gpo.gov.
  35. ^ "The debate on gun policies in U.S. and midwest newspapers". Berkeley Media Studies Group. January 1, 2000.
  36. ^ National Conference of State Legislatures (June 1, 2000). "Colorado After Columbine The Gun Debate". The Free Library by Farlex. Gale Group.
  37. ^ "No Questions Asked: Background Checks, Gun Shows, and Crime" (PDF). Americans for Gun Safety Foundation. April 1, 2001.
  38. ^ DuBose, Ben (February 1, 2008). "Senators aim to close gun-show loophole". LA Times. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  39. ^ "One year after tragedy, debate rages over solutions". USA Today. Associated Press. April 12, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  40. ^ Alfano, Sean (April 19, 2007). "Va. Tech Killer Bought 2nd Gun Online". CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ Urbina, Ian (May 1, 2007). "Virginia Ends a Loophole in Gun Laws". New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  42. ^ Halloran, Liz (January 30, 2013). "LaPierre Fights To Stop The 'Nightmare' Of Background Checks". Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  43. ^ LaPierre, Wayne (May 27, 1999). "Statement of Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President, National Rifle Association". commdocs.house.gov (Testimony). Washington, D.C. Retrieved July 4, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |event= ignored (help)
  44. ^ Kopel, David (January 10, 2000). "The Facts about Gun Shows". cato.org. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  45. ^ Olinger, David (February 13, 2000). "Dealers live for gun shows". Denverpost.com. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  46. ^ Baum, Dan (June 8, 2000). "What I saw at the gun show". rollingstone.com. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  47. ^ Duggan, Paul (March 16, 2000). "Gun-Friendly Governor". Washington Post. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  48. ^ Baum, Dan. "Bush & Guns: The art of the double deal". rollingstone.com. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  49. ^ Yardley, Jim (August 7, 2000). "THE 2000 CAMPAIGN: THE GUN ISSUE; Bush Stand Is Used to Turn Election Into a Showdown". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  50. ^ DeConde, Alexander (2003). "School Shootings and Gun Shows". Gun Violence in America: The Struggle for Control. Northeastern University. p. 277. ISBN 1-55553-592-5. OCLC 249850830. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  51. ^ DuBose, Ben (February 1, 2008). "Senators aim to close gun-show loophole". LA Times. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  52. ^ Halliwell, Naria (April 9, 2009). "Easy Access: $5,000 and One Hour Buys 10 Guns". ABC News. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  53. ^ Ripley, Amanda (April 15, 2008). "Ignoring Virginia Tech". Time. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  54. ^ Urbina, Ian (May 1, 2007). "Virginia Ends a Loophole in Gun Laws". New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  55. ^ "Report to the President on issues raised by the Virginia Tech tragedy" (PDF). justice.gov. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  56. ^ "The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007". bjs.gov. Bureau of Justice. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  57. ^ Johnson, Nicholas J. (January 13, 2009). "Imagining Gun Control in America: Understanding the Remainder Problem": 837–891. Retrieved June 24, 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  58. ^ Keefe, Mark A. (October 1, 2009). "The Truth About Gun Shows". nraila.org. National Rifle Association of America Institute for Legislative Action. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  59. ^ "Following the Gun: Enforcing Federal Laws Against Firearms Traffickers" (PDF). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). June 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 31, 2003.
  60. ^ "Firearms Trafficking: U.S. Efforts to Combat Arms Trafficking to Mexico Face Planning and Coordination Challenges" (PDF). gao.gov. United States Government Accountability Office (GAO). June 2009. GAO-09-709. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
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Further reading