The suspects in the shootings at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school and a Buffalo, New York, supermarket were both too young to legally purchase alcohol or cigarettes, but old enough to arm themselves, according to authorities.
The Buffalo suspect was taken to a hospital last year for a mental health evaluation, but the incident didn't cause New York's red flag law to be invoked. The mother of the Texas suspect told ABC that at times he gave her an uneasy feeling and could be aggressive. He had no known criminal or mental health history. There is no red flag law in the state.
The ability to obtain guns has raised concerns among the suspected U.S. mass shooters. Background check failures or law enforcement failure to heed warnings of concerning behavior are some of the reasons why some people get guns legally.
President Joe Biden questioned whether people as young as 18 should be allowed to purchase firearms after the shootings that left 31 people dead. Biden has called for banning assault weapons in the past. The measures are opposed by many Republicans.
A look at how suspects in mass shootings obtained guns, based on police accounts and court documents.
May 24, 2022, is in Uvalde, Texas. There were 21 dead.
There were two guns that were legally purchased by Ramos in the days before the attack that killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The minimum age for buying a rifle in the US is 18. He bought several hundred rounds of bullets. Daniel Defense made a DDM4 rifle that was modeled after the U.S. military's M4 rifle, but without the ability to switch to fully automatic or fire a three-round burst.
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May 14, 2022. There are 10 dead.
The gun used in the attack on Tops Friendly Market was purchased from a federally licensed gun dealer in New York. Gendron said in his diary that he received a rifle as a Christmas gift from his dad, and that he bought a shotgun in December. Last year, Gendron was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation after writing a letter to a teacher. New York is one of 19 states with red flag laws that allow courts to take guns from people who are posing immediate danger. The governor signed an executive order after the shooting. Gendron is accused of murder.
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March 22, 2021. There are 10 dead.
Six days before the shooting at King Soopers grocery store, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa bought a gun with a capacity of up to 30 rounds. Alissa was prone to sudden rage and INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals Colorado has a universal background check law that would not have stopped him from buying a weapon. Federal law would have barred his purchase if it was a felony. A judge struck down the city of Boulder's ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines because of a state law. The lawsuit was supported by the NRA. A judge ruled last month that she was not competent to stand trial.
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March 16, 2021. 8 people are dead.
Police said that Robert Long purchased a gun just hours before he went on a shooting rampage at three massage businesses. The lawyer for the gun shop said it complies with federal background check laws. Most states have no waiting period for obtaining a gun. Police said that Long spent time at an addiction recovery facility last year. Federal law doesn't ban guns for people who are unlawful users of or addicted to a controlled substance, or who have been court-ordered to a mental health or substance abuse treatment facility. He is serving a life sentence.
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The city ofMidland, Texas, is located in Texas. 31, 2019. 7 people dead.
A private sale allowed a man to purchase an assault rifle and use it to shoot at passing vehicles and shopping plazas. The mail truck driver was killed when he was hijacked. A court determined that Ator was mentally ill and that's why his background check was flagged, according to a law enforcement official. Private sales, which account for up to 40% of all gun sales, are not subject to a federal background check and private sellers aren't required to determine if a buyer is eligible to own a gun. Police killed Ator.
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There is an event in Dayton, Ohio on August. 4, 2019. 9 people are dead.
According to his classmates, he was suspended in high school for having a hit list and a rape list. After five years, sealed records of any juvenile crimes are required to be expunged. Betts bought the gun online from a Texas dealer. It was shipped in accordance with federal law. Police killed Betts.
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In El Paso, Texas, August. 3, 2019. There were 23 dead.
Patrick Crusius bought an AK-47-style rifle and 1,000 rounds of hollow-point bullets 45 days before he walked into a Walmart store and opened fire, killing 23 people and injuring two dozen others. The lawyer said his mother called the police on June 27 because she was concerned about the purchase. Police said she asked if he was old enough to buy a gun. She was told he would qualify if he passed a background check. Police said she expressed concern only about his safety and that she had not seen a change in his behavior recently. Just before the attack, Crusius posted a racist rant on the internet. He is charged with capital murder in Texas and federal hate crimes.
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Virginia Beach, Virginia: May 31, 2019. There were 12 dead.
In the three years before he opened fire on a municipal building, DeWayne Craddock legally purchased six firearms, including the two pistols used in the attack. An independent review of the shooting, commissioned by the City of Virginia Beach, found that there were no warning signs and that the man had no known history of mental health treatment. Police killed Craddock.
Thousand Oaks, California: NOV. 7, 2018. There were 12 dead.
Ian David Long, a former Marine who served in Afghanistan, used a legally purchased pistol with an extended magazine in the shooting at the bar. A federal judge reversed California's attempt to outlaw high-capacity magazines after a pro-gun group sued. A mental health specialist didn't think Long needed to be involuntarily committed after sheriff's deputies found him acting irrationally. There is a red flag law in California, but there is no indication that authorities sought a court order to take away Long's guns. Long took his own life.
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Pittsburgh: October. 27, 11 people are dead.
Police said the man who killed worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue had a carry license and legally owned guns. Gab is a social media site favored by right-wing extremists. He also posted photos of his family. None of the rhetoric appeared to raise red flags. His case is pending.
May, Santa Fe, Texas. On 18/12/2018. There are 10 dead.
The father of the student who killed 10 people at a Texas high school legally purchased a shotgun and handgun and stored it in a closet, authorities said. It was not clear if his father knew he had taken the guns. There was a photo on social media of a T-shirt with the phrase "Born to Kill" written on it. He was sent to a mental health facility after being ruled incompetent to stand trial.
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There is a park in Florida. 14, 2019. 17 people are dead.
Authorities said that Cruz legally purchased a gun from a licensed dealer a few miles from the high school. He hadn't been to a mental health clinic in more than a year. Federal law prohibits gun purchases if a court declares a person mentally deficient or commits them to an institution, but not if the person seeks treatment. At the time of the shooting, Cruz was 19 years old. He will be sentenced next month.
Sutherland Springs, Texas is on Nov. 5. There are 25 dead.
He was barred from buying guns because of his history of domestic abuse. Information about his crimes was never entered into a federal database used for background checks. The Air Force was required to inform the FBI about his conduct. Kelley bought four guns from licensed Texas and Colorado dealers over the course of four years. Kelley took his own life.
October in Las Vegas. 1, year ago. There were 58 deaths.
Thirty-three of the 49 weapons Stephen Paddock purchased were found in his hotel room and at his homes in the year before he opened fire on a country music festival. All background checks were passed by the person. Federal law doesn't require licensed gun dealers to alert the government about rifle purchases. He killed himself.
June 12, 2016 in ORLANDO, Florida. 49 people are dead.
A licensed dealer sold a handgun and a rifle to a man about a week before the nightclub attack. He had a security license that allowed him to be armed while on duty. Neither inquiry resulted in charges. Congress in 2015 rejected attempts to prevent people on the terrorism watch list from buying guns. Police killed a man.
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San Bernardino, California: December. 2, 2015. There were 14 dead.
The FBI said that Syed Farook and his wife used weapons the FBI said he bought from a licensed dealer. He told investigators that Farook asked him to buy the weapons because he would be less noticed. The police killed the two people.
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The city of Roseburg, Oregon, is located in the state of Oregon. 1, 2015. There are 10 dead.
The guns and rifle used in the Umpqua Community College shooting were legally purchased by Christopher and his family. There were guns at the college and an apartment. The neighbors said that the mother and son went target shooting. The man killed himself after being wounded by police.
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June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina. 9 people are dead.
A drug arrest should have prevented Dylann Roof from purchasing the pistol he used at Emanuel AME Church, but a record-keeping error and background check delay enabled the transaction to go through. The FBI said that a background check examiner never saw the arrest report because the arresting agency was listed in the wrong state. The gun dealer was allowed to complete the transaction after three days. He is on the federal death row.
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There was a protest in Washington on Sept. The year was 16. There were 12 dead.
The man who shot and killed twelve people at the Washington Navy Yard passed background checks and was able to purchase a shotgun despite his history of violent behavior. He had previously fired a gun in anger, but it wasn't prosecuted. Police killed him.
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The year ends in Newtown, Connecticut. The year ended on 14, 2012. There were 26 deaths.
Adam Lanza used his mother's weapons, including a.223-caliber semi-automatic rifle, in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The mother of the man who shot and killed her at the school also bought the bullets. He killed himself.
AURORA, Colorado: July 20, 2012 There were 12 dead.
When he passed required federal background checks and legally purchased the weapons he used in his movie theater assault, JamesHolmes was receiving mental health treatment. Treatment alone did not prevent him from buying guns. He was sentenced to 12 life terms and thousands of years in prison.
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