Meanwhile, Democratic Arizona state Sen. Steve Gallardo introduced a bill Monday to require background checks for all sales at gun shows.
The operators of the Phoenix gun show where the investigators made their buys on Jan. 23 issued a statement Monday saying all exhibitors at its shows are required to follow state and federal gun laws.
"Mayor Bloomberg and his 'task force' have no legal authority in the state of Arizona, or in any other place in America except New York City," said the statement from the Crossroads of the West Gun Shows. "These forays into America's heartland committing blatant acts to entrap otherwise innocent gun owners is an unlawful scheme that is created by Bloomberg's task force."
The private investigators, wearing concealed video cameras, were sold the 9 mm guns even after telling two separate sellers they probably couldn't pass background checks.
While many sellers at gun shows are not required under federal law to perform background checks, it is illegal for them to sell a weapon if they have reason to believe the buyer wouldn't be able to pass one, the mayor said.
The mayor said that without mandatory background checks, gun shows had become "magnets for criminals," and called for federal action to close what he said were dangerous loopholes in the law. Last week, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., proposed federal legislation that would require background checks for all firearm purchases at gun shows.
Jim Cavanaugh, a retired agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he was in charge of the Nashville division, said he didn't believe the sales described by the mayor were, in fact, illegal.
"It's not a prosecutable offense" because the purchasers were not truly felons, minors or drug abusers and because they didn't tell the sellers definitively that they were, Cavanaugh said. As for Bloomberg, he said, "ATF has asked him not to do it and to please coordinate with ATF if he thinks a violation is occurring."
In 2007, the U.S. Justice Department warned in a letter to City Hall that such civilian operations risk "legal liabilities" and can "unintentionally interrupt or jeopardize ongoing criminal investigations."
The mayor conceded that most illegal guns in New York City are coming from states along the East Coast, but said the rampage in Tucson would bring national attention to the investigation.
The city-hired investigators also obtained a Glock gun and 33-round extended magazine similar to those authorities have said Jared Loughner used to open fire as Giffords met with constituents outside a supermarket.
Investigators have said Loughner legally purchased his ammunition the morning of the attack. He had cleared a federal background check and legally bought a Glock 19 at a big-box sporting goods store two months earlier.
via apnews.myway.com
If indeed these "private investigators" hired by Bloomberg Billionaire Mayor of NYC were able to video actual illegal transactions, and from the information reported--they were NOT able to video ANY illegal transactions--even while trying to entice and entrap many. Private transactions between individuals, whether they meet at gun Shows or elsewhere DO NOT REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS!
Let's also be clear that even at Gun Shows, most guns are sold by licensed gundealers, AND DO REQUIRE BACKGROUND CHECKS. A very small percentage of guns are bought from private individuals at Gun Shows. The reason is that an individual is interested in selling one or two guns, basically what they can conveniently and safely carry around at the show. These Guns are checked to make sure they are not loaded and are secured with their actions open at the door, usually by a policeman.
There is already a Federal Law that dictates that the only circumstances under which a private individual may sell or trade a firearm AT ALL, is "to enhance a private collection". This clause is understood to mean that an occasional sale or trade among private citizens is okay but that they cannot do it very often.
People like Bloomberg and Steve Gallardo, the Dem Senator from Arizona have their own agendas, and unfortunately it does not include the welfare of their constituents. The Bills that would ban private sales at
GUN Shows, if read careflly, are intened to ban ALL PRIVATE GUN SALES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS EVERYWHERE. This is a grave obstruction of individual rights. What if one's sister wants to buy a rifle and he needs the money? This should be a simple process, and as it stands it is. This kind of transaction should not allow an encumbering background check--but this is what the target of CLOSING THE SO-CALLED GUNSHOW LOOPHOLE REALLY IS. IT IS JUST ANOTHER INCREMENTAL STEP TOWARD TAKING CITIZENS GUNS AWAY.
GUNSHOWS DO NOT ACCOUNT FOR MANY SALES THAT WIND P IN THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS.This is a fact. Bloomberg and others continue to make it out that Gun Shows are a big factor in the illicit blackmarket gun trade. But this is simply not true. And the big lie is that THEY know it is not true. I can only speculate why Bloomberg wants to make these kinds of grandstanding public displays, but if he was interested in fighting crime he would do those things that have proven to work in elsewhere
NOw, Bloomberg is at odds with the BATFE (ATF) AND the Supreme Court. AND, while he claims to have entraped some people breaking the law--there were in fact--NO NOT ONE OF THEM--breaking the law. Bloomberg and this grandstanding Democratic Senator, are both DOING THE VERY THINGS THAT EVEN PRESIDENT OBAMA--NOTORIOUSLY ANTI-GUN, RECOGNIZED WAS INAPPROPRIATE. They are using THE MISFORTUNAE AND BLOOD SHED IN ARIZONA TO SCORE POLITICAL POINTS AND PUBLICITY GUAGED TO ENHANCE THEIR OWN CAREERS.
If Bloombergwantws to reduce crime, and follow the Constitutionof The Supreme Court of the united States, he would work toward allowing law-abidng citizens in his city to buy, train woth, and carry them in NYC. This is the ONLY action, which has yet produced a reduction in violent crime. The way it is now, only criminals have guns in NYC. Private citizens cannot even legally protect themselves. Therefore, Bloomberg wants to blame other states for his own failed ideology.
I dare Bloomberg to produce a list of guns used criminally in NYC, that were opurchased from Gun Shows in NYC. I don't know for sure--but I am willing to wager that the list woulod be a blank sheet of paper or at most the list would have only a few entries. Illegal guns largely come from South and Central America via Mexico Drug Cartels who make a business of selling illegal thigns on the black marketto crminal elements.