How do they get them?

Ohio:
Toledo Police Department Detective Keith Dressel was shot to death by a 15 year old with a handgun last month.

It is too easy for criminals, youth, gangs and other prohibited individuals to obtain and use firearms. Under current law, the 15 year old that shot the Detective and the 19 year old that was also armed were too young to purchase a handgun from a licensed firearms dealer. How did they get them?

Someone supplied them, either through negligence or sale.

It is estimated that 40% of all gun sales are private, not through a licensed dealer. In Ohio there is no requirement for background checks or record keeping for these secondary sales, and there is no requirement to ask for identification to verify if the buyer is old enough to purchase a gun.

People think guns are registered, they're not. The first sale of each gun is sold through a licensed dealer and recorded only in the dealer's records. From the manufacturer to the dealer to the first sale. No other records.

Secondary sales need to be regulated just like original sales from licensed dealers. Background checks should be done, identification verified, and records kept to determine who is selling guns in our communities. It is the original gun owners selling their guns that feed the secondary market.

When we stop the supply of guns we will see an impact on gun crime and a reduction in these violent deaths.

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Illegal Sales

Former Columbus Police officer enlisted his family and friends to buy and sell at least 501 guns- revolvers, pistols, Glocks, Rugers, and a few rifles. He could not buy them himself because he was facing a felony charge.

These guns were then sold and so far 51 have been traced to crimes committed in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington.

Reselling guns is legal. Purchasing them to resell to prohibited buyers is a 'straw' sale that is illegal.

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READ THE ARTICLES


Teen suspect in Toledo detective's shooting death

Anatomy of a gun trafficking case