New Military Information Confirms Texas Shooter Not Allowed to Purchase or Own Guns

Brady Calls for Improvements to Life-saving Background Check System

Washington D.C., November 6, 2017 — New information just reported by the Air Force show what many had feared: the killer in the Texas church mass shooting on Sunday was known to be dangerous, but because of gaps in our background check system, he was able to buy guns and kill people.

The Air Force is now saying that the killer had been convicted of crimes that made him ineligible to buy guns. But somehow, that data was not reported to the FBI, which administers the background check system.

"We thank the Air Force for being forthright and launching an immediate investigation into both this killer's record and all other Air Force records. Strengthening the background check system will save lives" said Avery Gardiner, Brady Co-President.

"Indeed, the Air Force's investigation is a step in the right direction when so many in the Trump administration are hell-bent on taking steps backward," said Co-President Kris Brown. "What this exposes are the deadly gaps in our system. Instead of working to bolster the system, this administration and this Congress have actively undermined it, passing two bills and enacting one to remove hundreds of thousands of names from the background check system."

"We call on the Trump administration to protect Americans and save lives," added Gardiner. "This is about guns. We know how to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, and it is well past the time for our leaders to take action."

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Brady has one powerful mission — to unite all Americans against gun violence. We work across Congress, the courts, and our communities with over 90 grassroots chapters, bringing together young and old, red and blue, and every shade of color to find common ground in common sense. In the spirit of our namesakes Jim and Sarah Brady, we have fought for over 45 years to take action, not sides, and we will not stop until this epidemic ends. It’s in our hands.


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