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Crime Commission to begin examination of gun show sales

The Virginia State Crime Commission will take a limited look at the private sale of guns at shows, which has been criticized by advocates of gun control.

In Virginia, private sellers at gun shows don’t have to run background checks of prospective customers. Some demanded the so-called loophole be closed after the Virginia Tech killings.
But proponents of those sales argued that the Tech gunman didn’t buy his weapons from a show.

Meeting late last month, the commission agreed to study state and federal firearms laws so the General Assembly will have a clear understanding of the gun show law in any future legislative debates.

The commission, however, decided it will not recommend any proposed laws of its own because of the political divisiveness of the issue.

Only licensed fire-arms dealers are now required to conduct criminal-background checks of buyers at gun shows in Virginia.

In September, the crime commission may direct staff members to try to obtain statistics on the number of gun show sales by unlicensed sellers and how many of those firearms wind up being used in crimes.

First, the 13-member commission will hear from the Virginia State Police on whether any such data is available. The commission may also decide in September whether to hold a public hearing on the matter.

Col. W. Gerald Massengill, former superintendent of the state police and a member of the crime commission, told fellow commission members, “I feel very strongly about the Second Amendment.”

But he added, “I also feel strongly about public safety.”

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