By LINDSAY WHITEHURST and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER (Associated Press)
In a new report released on Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, it was revealed that more than 68,000 illegally trafficked guns in the U.S. were channeled through unlicensed dealers who are not obligated to conduct background checks over a five-year period.
According to officials at the Justice Department, this accounts for 54% of the illegally trafficked guns in the U.S. from 2017 to 2021. These guns were implicated in 368 shooting incidents, which are more challenging to investigate as unlicensed dealers do not have to maintain sales records that could aid federal agents in tracing the weapon back to the original purchaser, stated ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.
The report, commissioned by Attorney General Merrick Garland, is the first comprehensive examination of firearm trafficking investigations in over 20 years. It scrutinized over 9,700 closed ATF firearm trafficking investigations that commenced between 2017 and 2021. Firearms trafficking occurs when guns are deliberately moved into the illegal market for criminal purposes or possession.
The second-highest portion of firearm-trafficking cases probed by ATF involved straw purchases, where an individual purchases a gun for someone who is unable to obtain it legally themselves.
The report also reveals that in almost 60% of cases where investigators were able to identify the recipients' backgrounds, the recipients of trafficked firearms were individuals who had previously been convicted of a felony. Additionally, trafficked firearms were utilized to carry out additional crimes in almost 25% of the cases, as per Dettelbach. This comprises over 260 murders and over 220 attempted murders, as indicated in the report.
Dettelbach stated, “The data shows, therefore, that those who illegally traffic firearms whether its out of a trunk, at a gun show or online are responsible for real violence in this nation. In short, you can’t illegally help to arm nonviolent people and not be responsible for the violence that follows.”
The report found that, on average, 16 guns were trafficked per case. Those who obtained them through unlicensed dealers purchased an average of 20 weapons, compared to 11 guns for straw buyers.
The Biden administration has put forward a proposal for a rule that would mandate thousands more gun sellers to obtain licenses and conduct background checks. The Justice Department asserts that it is targeted at sellers involved in firearm sales, but the proposal was quickly met with opposition from gun-rights groups who argue that it could entangle individuals who occasionally sell their own guns.
The rule, which has not yet been finalized, is projected to impact 24,500 to 328,000 sellers. Over the five years covered in the report, 3,400 unlicensed dealers were investigated by the ATF.
