All Guns in Antioch Church Shooting Acquired via Background Checks

Nashville Metropolitan Police report that four guns were found on-scene following Sunday’s Antioch church shooting and all four guns were acquired from retailers – which means they were acquired via background checks.

On September 24, Breitbart News reported that 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson allegedly shot and killed one parishioner outside Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, then went inside and shot and wounded six others.

ABC News quoted Nashville Metro police spokesman Don Aaron, who said, Samson “was wearing a neoprene half-mask and drove an SUV” into the parking of the church. Aaron said Samson “arrived in the parking lot and first fatally fired at a woman walking to her car.” Police said Samson then allegedly entered the church where he shot “indiscriminately” at those inside the building.

The Tennessean reports that four guns were discovered on scene: a .40 caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol, a .22 caliber handgun, and an AR-15 rifle. Samson allegedly left the .22 caliber handgun and AR-15 in the SUV when he went inside the church. Police believe the only gun he used was the .40 caliber.

Nashville police say every gun was bought from a retailer. By federal law, such purchases must be conducted via a background check. Samson passed a background check for one of the guns himself and a relative passed a background check for the three weapons. The relative then gave the guns to Samson for “safe keeping.”

This means the attack on the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ is only the latest in which the attacker acquired his or her guns via a background check. Others include:

• the Congressional baseball attacker (June 14)
• the Orlando Pulse attacker (June 12, 2016)
• the UCLA gunman (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 Carton 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)

It is a fact that background checks are the method of choice mass public attackers use to acquire their guns.

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.