Thousands of People With Criminal Records Try to Buy Guns Online

Thousands of people with criminal backgrounds attempt to buy guns online each year — and that’s just from one site, according to a new report

The investigation, conducted by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, focused on the popular online gun vendor Armslist. In what the group called the first-ever national investigation of its type, it concluded “an estimated 25,000 guns could be transferred to individuals with criminal records on one website alone –- just a corner of a sprawling online market place for firearms.”

On Armslist, both sellers and would-be buyers can post ads. From 1,430 “want-to-buy ads” that included a phone number or email address between Feb. 11 and May 10, investigators linked 607 to specific people. From those 607, one in 30 — about 3% — had criminal records that would prohibit him or her from legally purchasing a firearm. Read more…

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