In just 5 months of 2022, United States witnessed over 200 mass shootings- Here's where the guns came from
Zee News
In some cases shooters got guns legally under current firearms laws, or because of background check lapses or law enforcement's failure to heed warnings of concerning behavior.
Uvalde: The suspects in the shootings at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school and a Buffalo, New York, supermarket were both just 18, authorities say, when they bought the weapons used in the attacks too young to legally purchase alcohol or cigarettes, but old enough to arm themselves with assault weapons. The Buffalo suspect was taken to a hospital last year for a mental health evaluation, but the incident didn't trigger New York's "red flag" law and he was still able to purchase a gun.
The Texas suspect's mother told ABC he gave her an "uneasy feeling" at times and could "be aggressive ... If he really got mad." But authorities say he had no known criminal or mental health history. The state has no such red flag law.
They are just the latest suspected US mass shooters whose ability to obtain guns has raised concerns. In some cases shooters got guns legally under current firearms laws, or because of background check lapses or law enforcement's failure to heed warnings of concerning behavior.
After the shootings, which together left 31 people dead, President Joe Biden renewed calls for stronger gun laws and questioned whether people as young as 18 should be allowed to purchase firearms. In the past, Biden has called for banning assault weapons and expanding background checks. Many Republicans oppose the measures.
A look at how suspects in recent mass shootings obtained guns, based on police accounts, court documents and contemporaneous reporting:
