Angry citizens are marching in New York and protesting in California. They're charging that police are shooting and killing without cause. City officials are suing gun manufacturers. They say gun companies should compensate cities for the huge amounts of money they have to pay to treat gunshot victims. And today, a federal agency announced this news: According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms many of the young people who use guns to commit crimes get them from adults. The adults buy the guns legally, as intermediaries, and pass them on. Gun industry supporters say today's report just reinforces their view that criminals, not guns, are the problem. NPR's Larry Abramson has more.
LARRY ABRAMSON reporting:
The study is part of a multi-year effort by federal firearms license authorities to figure out just where the guns used in crimes come from. The ATF agents traced nearly 77,000 guns that were used in crimes. What they found raises questions about claims by the firearms industry and the National Rifle Association that criminals tend to steal their weapons.
Treasury Undersecretary James Johnson says the agency's research shows that guns are changing hands shortly after they are bought from licensed gun dealers.
Undersecretary JAMES JOHNSON (Treasury Department): The trace reports show a substantial percentage of new guns being sold and recovered in crime within a relatively short time after purchase, indicating trafficking in these firearms.
ABRAMSON: Mandatory state and federal background checks are supposed to stop juveniles and people with criminal records from buying guns legally. BATF director John McGaw(ph) says that safeguard does not protect against so-called `straw purchases.'
Mr. JOHN McGAW (Director, BATF): A straw purchase is when someone who is eligible to buy a firearm--and their record will stand the test--they will go in and buy the firearm on behest of someone else, and they will then turn that weapon over. Many times the investigation shows that the person with a felony conviction, let's say, who cannot have a firearm, is standing right next to the person in the gun store when it's purchased.
ABRAMSON: For juveniles and young people, these straw purchases account for roughly half of the firearms they got hold of and then used in crimes. Officials presenting the report said the information was simply meant to aid law enforcement with prosecution efforts, but the Clinton administration has been pushing for an extension of a federal waiting period for gun purchases that expired last year. And BATF officials acknowledge that a waiting period might help stop straw purchases. The administration also wants to tighten restrictions on sales at gun shows.
Opponents of tougher gun regulations have long contended that these laws don't stop criminals from stealing the guns they use in crimes. So Bill Powers of the National Rifle Association says today's report just proves that the best way to stop the problem of illegal gun trafficking is to put crooks in jail.
Mr. BILL POWERS (National Rifle Association): All of those channels are illegal avenues whereby criminals, whether they're young or old, get firearms, and to the extent that federal officials are aware of that problem, and not prosecuting the perpetrators, crime will continue to go unchecked. And that is a serious criticism of this administration. They continue to refuse to fully enforce the law and prosecute perpetrators.
For more firearms and FFL License information be sure to visit federal-firearms-license.net.
ABRAMSON: Today's report is likely to embolden cities filing liability suits against gun manufacturers. Just last week, a federal jury in Brooklyn found several gun manufacturers liable in three shootings in the New York City region. A key contention in that case is that gun manufacturers intentionally flood the market in areas with lax gun laws, knowing full well the guns will eventually end up in the hands of criminals or young people. Larry Abramson, NPR News, Washington.
