December 13, 2010
By Sari Horwitz and James V. Grimaldi
A decade ago, (click here) politicians and the press routinely reported on gun stores across the nation that had the most traces for firearms recovered by police. In 2003, under pressure from the gun lobby, Congress passed a law that hid from public view the government database that contained the gun tracing information.
The Washington Post has obtained the names of the gun dealers nationwide with the most traces over the past four years. In addition, The Post has uncovered the names of the dealers, all from border states, with the most traces from guns recovered in Mexico over the past two years.
A high number of guns traced to a store does not necessarily signal wrongdoing. The number of traces a store generates is shaped by many factors, including volume, the type of guns sold, geography and clientele.
Topping the overall list with about 2,390 traces is Vance Outdoors in Columbus, Ohio. Owner Todd Vance said his that grandfather started the business on Cleveland Avenue in 1938 and that the store is a top source for shooters, hunters, anglers and boaters in central Ohio....
Columbus, Ohio is about 350 miles or approximately six hours drive from Chicago, Illinois.
A city should have the right to sue gun sales by any dealer known to have the majority of traces. in other words. A gun seller has a high rate of sales that shows up in Chicago crime. That seller is providing guns to criminals. That has to stop.
The Charlotte, NC dealer and New York City have something in common. They share I-95. About ten hours and 750 miles between the two. The distances between the two is irrelevant to the realization a gun dealer is the one of choice for any New York crime network.
..."We're one of the oldest gun stores and sell the most guns in the Southeast," he said. "We've sold nearly a million guns. We have a 6,000-gun inventory and sell 50 guns a day. People buy here from 100 miles away because I have four gunsmiths to repair guns."...
Large volume gun dealers are not required to do background checks because it is viewed as a wholesale distributor and not a direct sales store to customers. The realization these large volume sellers are finding their guns into the hands of criminals should give them a reality check. "I didnt' do anything "W'rong." Right, three is nothing like an honest business man selling guns to retailers that sell to criminals.
It is well known there are corridors where guns travel to reach the wrong owners that can no longer obtain their guns legitimately. There is nothing to say these distributors ever conduct business knowingly with criminals. However, reality wins out to realize such large number of gun traces from crime scenes are back to these distributors.
Enough. There should be an investigation demanded by these wholesalers to protect their reputations and that is not the cause. Cities and/or families should have rights to justice when it is realized the guns involved in crime are traceable to one gun dealer.
By Sari Horwitz and James V. Grimaldi
A decade ago, (click here) politicians and the press routinely reported on gun stores across the nation that had the most traces for firearms recovered by police. In 2003, under pressure from the gun lobby, Congress passed a law that hid from public view the government database that contained the gun tracing information.
The Washington Post has obtained the names of the gun dealers nationwide with the most traces over the past four years. In addition, The Post has uncovered the names of the dealers, all from border states, with the most traces from guns recovered in Mexico over the past two years.
A high number of guns traced to a store does not necessarily signal wrongdoing. The number of traces a store generates is shaped by many factors, including volume, the type of guns sold, geography and clientele.
Topping the overall list with about 2,390 traces is Vance Outdoors in Columbus, Ohio. Owner Todd Vance said his that grandfather started the business on Cleveland Avenue in 1938 and that the store is a top source for shooters, hunters, anglers and boaters in central Ohio....
Columbus, Ohio is about 350 miles or approximately six hours drive from Chicago, Illinois.
A city should have the right to sue gun sales by any dealer known to have the majority of traces. in other words. A gun seller has a high rate of sales that shows up in Chicago crime. That seller is providing guns to criminals. That has to stop.
The Charlotte, NC dealer and New York City have something in common. They share I-95. About ten hours and 750 miles between the two. The distances between the two is irrelevant to the realization a gun dealer is the one of choice for any New York crime network.
..."We're one of the oldest gun stores and sell the most guns in the Southeast," he said. "We've sold nearly a million guns. We have a 6,000-gun inventory and sell 50 guns a day. People buy here from 100 miles away because I have four gunsmiths to repair guns."...
Large volume gun dealers are not required to do background checks because it is viewed as a wholesale distributor and not a direct sales store to customers. The realization these large volume sellers are finding their guns into the hands of criminals should give them a reality check. "I didnt' do anything "W'rong." Right, three is nothing like an honest business man selling guns to retailers that sell to criminals.
It is well known there are corridors where guns travel to reach the wrong owners that can no longer obtain their guns legitimately. There is nothing to say these distributors ever conduct business knowingly with criminals. However, reality wins out to realize such large number of gun traces from crime scenes are back to these distributors.
Enough. There should be an investigation demanded by these wholesalers to protect their reputations and that is not the cause. Cities and/or families should have rights to justice when it is realized the guns involved in crime are traceable to one gun dealer.
