Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) is pushing gun control after poor federal reporting helped Texas killer Devin Kelley pass a background check to obtain his rifle.
Kelley used that rifle to kill 26 people on November 5, when he opened fire on congregants of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
On November 6 Breitbart News reported that Kelley passed a background check for this rifle. Hours after that report we learned that he was able to pass the check because the Air Force had “mishandled” the task of reporting his domestic violence arrest and conviction to the National Instant Background Check System (NICS).
NPR‘s Tom Bowman reported the “Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico” had dropped the ball. Holloman is “where Kelley was serving when he was arrested” for “assaulting his then-wife and stepson.”
This error to report is a clear mistake and the Air Force is investigating how it happened. And while they do that, Sen. Cornyn is pushing gun control.
According to the Washington Times, Cornyn is one of a small number of Republicans who believe “there is room for a limited gun control debate” at this time. He is drafting a bill aimed at “[reminding] government agencies of their duty to provide information to the background check system.”
Government agencies should certainly report, but do we need another gun law in order to secure such reporting?
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
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