President Donald Trump floated the idea of Republicans and Democrats coming together for “strong background checks” following the Texas and Ohio shootings.
On August 4, 2019, Breitbart News reported the Ohio shooter bought his gun “legally.” He ordered it from Texas, after which it was shipped to a local gun store for him to pick up. He would have passed a background check at the local store to pick the gun up and Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl made clear the attacker had no criminal history to prevent him from doing these things.
USA Today quoted Trump calling for “strong background checks” on Monday.
Breitbart News reported that Trump suggested linking legislation for such checks with immigration legislation.
Trump referenced the shootings in Texas and Ohio, saying, “Republicans and Democrats must come together and get strong background checks, perhaps marrying this legislation with desperately needed immigration reform. We must have something good, if not GREAT, come out of these two tragic events!”
The U.S. has had background checks on retail gun sales since 1998. The checks are performed by the FBI and examine the criminal history backgrounds of would-be gun buyers. The vast majority of mass shooters have little or no criminal history, allowing them to acquire a firearm “legally,” just like the Dayton shooter.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.