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US mass shooters exploited gaps, errors in background checks

US mass shooters exploited gaps, errors in background checks | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - In this March 24, 2018, file photo, thousands of people gather on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol during a "March for Our Lives" rally in Austin, Texas. The vast majority of mass shooters have acquired their firearms legally with nothing in their background that would have prohibited them from possessing a gun. But there have been examples of lapses in the background check system that allowed guns to end up in the wrong hands. Very few states also have a mechanism to seize firearms from someone who is not legally allowed to possess one. (Nick Wagner/Austin American-Statesman via AP, File)

The vast majority of U.S. mass shooters have acquired their firearms legally with nothing in their background that would have prohibited them from possessing a gun.

However, there have been examples of lapses in the background check system that allowed guns to end up in the wrong hands, including weapons used attacks at churches in Charleston, South Carolina, and Sutherland Springs, Texas, in recent years.

Very few states also have a mechanism to seize firearms from someone who is not legally allowed to possess one.

In 2018, there were more than 26 million background checks conducted and fewer than 100,000 people failed. Of those, the vast majority were for a criminal conviction. Just over 6,000 were rejected for a mental health issue.

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Parker Crook

Parker Crook is a Saskatchewan-born reporter who began his career in journalism while studying the craft at SAIT in Calgary. After cutting his teeth at the school news outlet as the Opinions Editor, Parker landed a position at a Vernon newspaper and worked his way up to the editor’s chair. Parker strives to tell stories that have a genuine impact on the community he calls home. And, from courtroom dramas to on stage antics, Parker believes meaningful stories can be found just about anywhere.

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