Analysis of gun purchase data from 2017 shows that the chances of being prosecuted for trying to buy a gun illegally are one in 10,000, National Review reported Monday.
A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 112,000 prohibited people attempted to buy a firearm in 2017 through licensed dealers. It is illegal for prohibited people to attempt to buy a firearm in any way, including through licensed dealers, who have to submit a background check form.
Those prohibited individuals who attempt to buy a firearm through legal means often lie on the background check form, Form 4473, according to National Review’s Kevin Williamson. Lying on Form 4473 is a felony offense and can bring 10 years in prison if convicted, Williamson noted.
In 2017, the GAO found that of those 112,000 people who were stopped by the background check system for violating this federal law, only 12,700 were investigated. Of those 12,700 who were investigated, only 12 were prosecuted, the report uncovered. (RELATED: STUDY: Burglaries Drop In Areas With High Gun Permits)
Of those 112,000 who were denied firearms, 36% were convicted felons, according to the GAO report. Thirty percent of those were subjects of protective ordeals, and a further 16% were convicted of disqualifying domestic-violence misdemeanors, the GAO continued.
Rolling Stone Blames Buffalo Shooting On Republicans Despite Gunman Being Self-Professed “Left-Wing Authoritarian” https://t.co/NI7B9bbtjW
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 16, 2022
Roughly 30% of people who failed the background check were arrested on another criminal charge within five years, National Review reported. Instead of prosecuting these individuals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives decided to send them text messages because it’s “less intimidating,” according to another GAO report.
So while there’s been a 30% increase in homicides between 2019 and 2020, according to the CDC, those tasked with mitigating gun crime have chosen to prosecute 12 out of 112,000 people they know were trying to purchase a gun illegally.
