The Business of Guns

The most common, and arguably most concerning, association between gun shows and crimes is that of mass shooters. Among major mass-shooting events, the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, the 2006 Virginia Tech shooting, the 2012 Aurora, Colorado, theater shooting, and the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting all either purchased firearms at gun shows, or they acquired their guns from a friend or family member who themselves had purchased the weapons at a gun show. Among contemporary political debates, attention paid to the gun show loophole typically intensifies in the aftermath or the context of mass shootings rather than in response to “everyday” gang or drug crime.

The biggest concern about gun shows is that they make it easier for mass shooters to purchase and stockpile weapons.

The Business of Guns

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