In the face of a disturbing surge in mass shootings, with the United States grappling with over 470 such incidents this year alone, President Joe Biden has launched a determined effort to address the exploitation of legal loopholes by individuals selling firearms without proper licenses. The move seeks to combat the alarming trend of weapons changing hands without background checks, posing a serious threat to public safety.
The widely recognized Gun Violence Archive defines a mass shooting as an incident where four or more individuals are either injured or killed. Shockingly, over the past three years, the nation has experienced an average of more than 600 gun violence events annually, translating to nearly two incidents per day on average.
The comprehensive regulations that have recently come to light are a direct result of the Safer Communities Act, which garnered President Biden’s endorsement and was enacted by Congress in June 2022. The legislation was a direct response to the alarming toll of shooting deaths, particularly in mass shooting scenarios, that have afflicted the nation.
The primary objective of these newly introduced rules is to effectively close existing legal gaps that allow firearms dealers to bypass licensing requirements. Often, these sellers claim they don’t profit from transactions or exploit technicalities like the absence of a physical storefront or limited sales volume.
Beyond this, the regulations also bring stricter oversight to bear on gun collectors involved in the buying and selling of firearms. Additionally, provisions tighten control over individuals who are no longer certified as gun dealers and wish to liquidate their inventory.
The overarching intention of the Justice Department is clear: to compel firearms sellers to rigorously screen potential buyers through a national database, thereby weeding out individuals barred by law from owning guns, such as felons.
Beyond strengthening background checks, these rules promise to enhance the traceability of registered firearms, facilitating tracking from one owner to the next.
In response to the issue, Steven Dettelbach, the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, noted, “There has been a growing trend among individuals involved in the firearms trade for profit, who opt to bypass the requirement of registering as federal firearms licensees as mandated by law. Instead, they have taken to conducting off-the-record, unlawful transactions to generate income from firearm sales.”
The Justice Department’s drive to combat unlicensed dealing underscores its commitment to reinforcing federal regulations and ensuring greater gun safety measures.
As per estimates by the Gun Violence Archive, the year 2021 saw a tragic tally of 44,374 lives lost due to gun-related incidents. While this number has slightly receded to 28,793 for the initial eight months of 2022, it’s vital to recognize that around 55% of all gun deaths result from suicides.
These newly introduced regulations follow a recent tragedy in Jacksonville, Florida, where a white male suspect with an AR-style rifle targeted and killed three black individuals, expressing an alarming ideology of hate.
The rise in mass shootings across the nation, coupled with easy access to firearms and an abundance of guns relative to the population, underscores the urgency to enact effective measures that curb gun violence and prioritize the safety and well-being of the American people.
