The FBI’s Alexandria report undermines every major gun control the Democrats have been pushing for the past 20 years.
Chief among the controls undermined are the ongoing push for an “assault weapons” ban and the incessant drive for universal background checks. These are really nothing more than an expansion of our current background check system to treat private gun sales like sales at retail.
In other words, universal background checks simply represent more checks in more places.
The Democrats emerged from the heinous attack on Sandy Hook Elementary pushing an “assault weapons” ban and universal background checks. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) spearheaded the push to ban “assault weapons” and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) took the lead in pushing universal background checks. Manchin was joined by Democrat surrogates like Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly, and Michael Bloomberg-funded Moms Demand Action.
But the FBI’s report confirms that the attacker had two guns on his person at the time of the attack; one was a handgun and the other an “SKS rifle” which would not have been covered by an “assault weapons” ban. An SKS is a Communist-era rifle manufactured with a fixed magazine, while “assault weapons” bans focus on guns that have detachable magazines. (To be clear, the Alexandria attacker’s SKS took a detachable magazine, but the FBI made clear that this was because the gun had been “modified.” Which, in itself, is another proof of how easy an “assault weapons” ban could be skirted it such a ban were in effect.)
As for universal background checks, the FBI reports makes clear both the attacker’s guns were purchased from Federal Firearms License holders (FFLs). This means the gun sales required a background check, which makes the Alexandria attacker simply the latest high-profile attacker to prove that the arguments for background checks are vapid.
The list of high-profile attackers and alleged attackers who acquired their guns via background checks continues to grow:
- the Congressional baseball practice attacker (June 14, 2017)
- the Orlando attacker (June 12, 2016)
- the UCLA attacker (June 1, 2016)
- the San Bernardino attackers (December 2, 2015)
- the Colorado Springs attacker (October 31, 2015)
- the Umpqua Community College attacker (October 1, 2015)
- Alison Parker’s attacker (August 26, 2015)
- the Lafayette movie theater attacker (July 23, 2015)
- the Chattanooga attacker (July 16, 2015)
- the alleged Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal attacker (Jun 17, 2015)
- the Muhammad Cartoon Contest attackers (May 3, 2014)
- the Las Vegas cop killers (June 9, 2015)
- the Santa Barbara attacker (May 23, 2014)
- the Fort Hood attacker (April 2, 2014)
- the Arapahoe High School attacker (December 13, 2013)
- the D.C. Navy Yard attacker (September 16, 2013)
- the Aurora movie theater attacker (July 20, 2012)
- Gabby Giffords’ attacker (January 8, 2011)
- the Fort Hood attacker (November 5, 2009)
- the Virginia Tech attacker (April 16, 2007), and many others.
Gun control does not stop control criminals. It only succeeds in controlling law-abiding citizens, who are already sufficiently self-controlled.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.