Because Congress continues to shrink under NRA special interest group pressure, criminals and even suspected terrorists can legally buy deadly firearms in the US without criminal background checks, proof of ID or detection. Further, Congress and Federal law actually prohibit the FBI from maintaining or sharing gun purchase records. In fact, Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Ft. Hood shooter, was on a suspected terrorist watch list, and even the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force was prevented from knowing that Hasan had purchased his deadly arsenal from the Guns Galore gun store in Killeen, Texas.
Unlike private gun sales in 33 States and at thousands of annual gun shows where no background check is required, gun stores actually require such checks performed by the FBI. Had the FBI's own Terrorism Task Force been allowed to know that Hasan had bought tactical weapons, such as the FN Herstal, literally advertised as "capable of penetrating 48 layers of soft body armor," there's a good chance he could have been caught before killing 13 and wounding 29 Service men and women at Ft. Hood. According to former FBI Special Agent Brad Barrett, "The piece of information about the gun could have been critical." Unfortunately because Congress continues to allow the extreme NRA to dictate our failed US gun policies, over 30,000 Americans die from guns every year in the US (80-90 every day) from largely preventable gun violence and even our brave Soldiers preparing for battle overseas aren't safe at Military bases in our own Country.
When are we going to hold Congress responsible for their deadly irresponsibility and willingness to put special interest politics and fear of not getting reelected before public safety and national security?