Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday ordered a comprehensive review of the national database that houses background checks.
“The recent shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas revealed that relevant information may not be getting reported to the NICS — this is alarming and it is unacceptable,” Sessions said in a statement Wednesday.
This review comes just a little over two weeks after the mass shooting of church-goers in Sutherland Springs, Texas, leaving 26 dead and others injured.
The shooter had a conviction for domestic abuse, but the US Air Force failed to properly convey that information to federal law enforcement authorities, enabling him to purchase a military-style rifle.
In a memorandum to the heads of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the attorney general specifically directs federal law enforcement agencies to work with the Defense Department to “identify and resolve any issues with the military’s reporting of convictions,” and “identify any additional measures that should be taken to prevent firearms being obtained by prohibited persons,” and report back to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in 60 days.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have also taken note of problems with how information is relayed for background checks, as bi-partisan group of senators announced a bill last week to help ensure states and federal authorities upload all required information to the federal database.
