Gun Seller: We're Not All Bad Guys
Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.
The United States has a strict federal ban on gun "straw purchases"—when the actual buyer of a firearm is unable to pass a required federal background check, so a different individual buys the weapon for the actual gun owner. The law aims to prevent dangerous weapons from falling into the hands of the wrong people.
But a number of cases, most recently in Milwaukee, show that not all gun sellers comply with the law.
Are gun sellers actually concerned about liability or the tragedy of knowing that a gun they sold was used in a serious crime?
Steve Walsh is the owner of Ruby's Guns in Ellisville and Sullivan, Missouri. He's a long-time gun owner and professional shooter, and has been a gun retailer since 2007. He says that since one gun shop can give everyone a bad name, sellers must work to stop straw purchases.
What you'll learn from this segment:
- What responsible gun sellers are doing to make sure they're only selling to people who can legally own firearms.
- How a gun seller spots someone who may be buying a gun for someone else.
- What a seller like Walsh thinks about holding gun stores accountable for crimes committed by people who have obtained a weapon via a straw purchase.
See Also: Jury Rules Against Gun Store for Selling Firearm Used to Shoot Cops
