>>> KEEPING GUNS OUT OF THE
HANDS NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE THEM
IS KEY TO SAFETY FOR ALL OF US.
IN VIRGINIA ALREADY THIS YEAR,
MORE THAN 134,000 PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO PURCHASE A GUB.
>> AND NEARLY 200 BUYERS ARE
ARRESTED EACH MONTH.
MANY OF THEM EVEN BEFORE THEY
LEAVE THE GUN STORE.
>> INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER TED OBERG AND THE I-TEAM FOUND IT’S
NOT THE SAME IN D.C. OR
MARYLAND.
>> Reporter: INSIDE THIS
ARLINGTON GUN DEALERSHIP, NOVA
ARMORY, SAYS SELLING GUNS ISN’T
ALWAYS THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB.
>> TRYING TO PREVENT THE WRONG
PERSON TO OBTAIN A FIREARM FOR
WHATEVER REASON THEY DEEM
NECESSARY.
THAT’S MOST IMPORTANT.
>> Reporter: U.S. AND VIRGINIA
MAKE PRETTY CLEAR WHO SOME OF
THOSE PEOPLE ARE.
CONVICTED FELONS, DOMESTIC ABUSE
ABUSERS
ABUSERS, THOSE WITH PROTECTIVE ORDERS AGAINST THEM AND THOSE
COMMITTED TO A MENTAL HEALTH
INSTITUTION.
WHEN YOU GO TO BUY A GUN, HAVE
YOU TO TELL THE DEALER, WHO
TELLS THE GOVERNMENT IF YOU ARE
ANY OF THOSE THINGS AND THE
BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM SHOULD
DENY THE SALE. >> WE WANT TO KEEP FIREARMS OUT
OF THE WRONG PERSON’S HANDS.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS IN VIRGINIA
THERE IS A BIG EFFORT TO DO
THAT.
AND THE ARREST DETAILS THE NEWS4
I-TEAM OBTAINED SHOW IT’S TRUE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ARRESTED
THIS YEAR?
>> A LITTLE OVER 500.
>> Reporter: EXCUSE ME?
>> A LITTLE OVER 500.
>> Reporter: THAT’S A STAGGERING
NUMBER.
>> YES, IT IS A STAGGERING
NUMBER.
>> Reporter: VIRGINIA STATE
POLICE LIEUTENANT RUNS THE TEAM
THAT TRACKS PEOPLE PROHIBITED
FROM BUYING A GUN BUT WHO BREAK
THE LAW AND TRY ANYWAY.
ONCE A LICENSED FIREARM DEALER
SUBMITS A BACKGROUND CHECK FOR A
POTENTIAL VIRGINIA BUYER, HIS TEAM GETS IT IN REAL-TIME.
IF THEY DETECT PROHIBITION, THEY
DISPATCH A TROOPER RIGHT TO THE
STORE, RIGHT AWAY.
>> THEY’LL SEND A TROOPER TO
YOUR STORE.
>> YEAH.
ALL THE TIME.
>> Reporter: AFTER A BRIEF INVESTIGATION, VIOLATORS CAN BE
ARRESTED RIGHT THERE.
IT HAPPENED 529 TIMES THROUGH
THE END OF MARCH IN VIRGINIA
ALONE.
2,221 TIMES IN 2023.
EVEN MORE THE YEAR BEFORE.
ABOUT HALF OF THEM ARRESTED
RIGHT ON THE SPOT, WHILE STILL
IN THE GUN DEALER’S STORE. >> WE HAVE A REPUTATION ACROSS
THE COUNTRY OF HOW WELL WE
ENFORCE OUR FIREARM LAWS IN
VIRGINIA.
>> Reporter: BUT HE SAYS HE
DOESN’T EXPERIENCE THE SAME
REACTION IN D.C., WHERE HE’S
ALSO A LICENSED GUN DEALER.
>> THE ENFORCEMENT AT THE FRONT END REGULATIONS CONCERNING
FIREARMS TRANSACTIONS IS FORCED
DIFFERENTLY IN VIRGINIA AND D.C.
>> Reporter: THE I-TEAM WANTED
TO KNOW WHY THAT IS.
VIRGINIA LAW MAKES IT CLEAR STATE POLICE ARE THE GATEKEEPERS
IN PREVENTING ILLEGAL SALES.
D.C. DOESN’T HAVE THAT
REQUIREMENT.
WE KNOW D.C. POLICE DON’T HAVE A
SPECIALIZED UNIT LIKE VIRGINIA’S
BUT OFFICERS CAN STILL ENFORCE
FIREARMS RESTRICTIONS.
WE ASKED IF THEY HAD.
AFTER WEEKS OF ASKING D.C.
POLICE DIDN’T PROVIDE US WITH
ANY NUMBERS ON ANY ARRESTS THEY
HAD MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO VIOLATED
FIREARM PURCHASE LAWS.
INSTEAD THEY POINTED US TO THE ATF, WHO INVESTIGATE ONLY WHEN
SOMEONE FAILS THE BACKGROUND
CHECK BUT SOMEHOW STILL OBTAINS
THE GUN.
THE ATF TOLD THE I-TEAM THAT’S
ONLY HAPPENED ONCE OR TWICE IN
THE LAST FIVE YEARS. ADDING AS FAR AS THE GUN
PURCHASE ITSELF, THE ATF DOESN’T
HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.
PROHIBITED BUYERS ATTEMPTING TO
BUY A FIREARM IN D.C. IS AN
ISSUE THAT WOULD FALL TO MPD.
POLL LAND, ONE OF TWO LICENSED
GUN DEALERS IN THE DISTRICT,
TOLD THE I-TEAM HE CALLS D.C.
POLICE A HANDFUL OF TIMES A YEAR
ABOUT A QUESTIONABLE BUYER IN
HIS SHOP BUT NOTHING HAPPENS.
IN ONE RECENT EPISODE --
>> THEY HAD AN ALTERED DOCUMENT.
IT WAS VERY APPARENT.
A THIRD GRADER COULD HAVE SAID
THIS WAS TWO DIFFERENT
DOCUMENTS.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS HE WAS TOLD
TO CALL THE ATF.
>> ATF, THAT’S WANT THEIR JOB TO
ENFORCE THIS KIND OF ISSUE.
>> Reporter: THE I-TEAM SPENT
THREE WEEKS GOING BACK AND FORTH
WITH D.C. POLICE TO GET THEIR
TAKE ON THIS ENTIRE ISSUE, BUT
APPARENTLY THAT’S NOT ENOUGH TIME.
WELL PAST OUR DEADLINE, WE STILL
HADN’T RECEIVED A RESPONSE.
WE ALSO CHECKED IN MARYLAND
WHERE THERE IS A SEVEN-DAY
WAITING PERIOD TO BUY A HANDGUN. IN MARYLAND DEALERS AND STATE
POLICE SAY PAPERWORK IS ALMOST
ALWAYS FILLED OUT ONLINE AND
AWAY FROM THE GUN STORE WITH
CUSTOMERS ONLY SHOWING UP TO BUY
AFTER THEIR BACKGROUND CHECK AND
WAITING PERIOD HAVE CLEARED.
>> WE DON’T WANT GUNS BEING
GIVEN TO THOSE WHO AREN’T
LEGALLY ALLOWED TO POSSESS THEM.
>> GUN SAFETY ADVOCATES ARE
PUSHING STATES TO DO WHAT
VIRGINIA IS DOING. CHRIS YAN HANEY IS A GUN
VIOLENCE SURVIVOR, AND BRADY A
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION ORGANIZATION, AND HANEY TELLS
THE I-TEAM THIS IS JUST ONE WAY VIRGINIA STATE POLICE REACTS TO
AN IMMINENT THEFT, AND THEY
LEVERAGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH
LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PEOPLE
IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
MINUTES AGO D.C. POLICE FINALLY
RESPONDED.
THEY SAY THEY’RE FOCUSED ON
REMOVING ILLEGAL GUNS FROM THE
STREET.
WHEN REGISTERING A GUN, THEY ARE
CONFIDENT IN THEIR FINGERPRINT
BACKGROUND CHECK.
>> WOW.
>> WE WOULD ALL FEEL SAFER IF
THERE WAS MORE UNIFORMITY.
>> NATIONWIDE.