Armslist dealer who sold gun used to kill Chicago officer couldn’t stop selling guns
Image via the New York Post
I’ve posted about Armslist a few times before. While it’s been referred to in the past as the ‘craigslist of guns’ it’s also been cited as a major avenue in which illegal firearms have been funneled into the violent streets if Chicago. One of those guns was used to kill Police Commander Paul Bauer back in February.
The Chicago Tribune is now reporting that the man who allegedly sold the fateful gun over Armslist was already being watched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms. A gun that the seller sold ended up in the hands of a known drug dealer which is what first led the ATF to the seller. The ATF warned the seller to stop selling the guns but the man continued. He wasn’t charged with any crimes until after Commander Bauer was killed by a felon who was prohibited from owning a gun.
The main purpose of Armslist is for private gun owners to sell the firearms between them. Private sales like this are not subject to any background checks which have led many people who are banned from owning guns to use Armslist to obtain their weapons. This has also led to more than a few killings. Much like Backpage used to do, Armslist hides behind the Communications Decency Act claiming that they’re not responsible for what their users do. However, unlike the closure of Backpage which had bipartisan support in Congress, Lawmakers are hesitant to do anything about Armslist since gun ownership has become such a highly contested issue in this country. Since guns from private sales on Armslist are ending up in the hands of killers, a required background check for private sales would go a long way in curtailing the sale of firearms to felons. The question is does any lawmaker have the guts to step up and start fighting for this?
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The House seeks to close loophole that keeps Armslist in business | Greg's Corner 10:00 am on February 6, 2019 Permalink
[…] Armslist. This has led to a number of high-profile crimes such as a domestic workplace murder and a Chicago police commander being killed. That’s not even taking into account the number of unreported crimes probably committed with […]
Close to 30,000 guns were for sale on Armslist requiring no background check | Greg's Corner 10:56 am on February 14, 2019 Permalink
[…] the irony of their statement. Armslist is part of that chain where guns end up in the black market as they have in Chicago and other locations. All the while, Armslist does very little to discourage the sale of guns to […]
The ‘craigslist of guns’ held harmless in domestic murder | Greg's Corner 8:00 am on May 1, 2019 Permalink
[…] Previously, we’ve discussed how a lawsuit in Wisconsin was moving forward against Armslist, the so-called ‘craigslist of guns.’ Armslist facilitates the sales of firearms between private owners and buyers. This is a legal loophole that allows people with criminal records to bypass background checks when purchasing a firearm. In the past few years, a number of guns sold through Armslist have been used in some high-profile crimes such as the murder of a Chicago Police Captain. […]