Gun violence has been a persistent problem in the United States, with high-profile mass shootings and daily gun-related deaths. In order to address this issue, stricter gun control measures should be adopted. One such measure is the implementation of background checks for all gun purchases.

Background checks are intended to stop persons who are not allowed to own guns from getting access to them. These people include felons, minors who have been convicted of crimes, runaways from the law, illegal residents of the United States, people who have a history of mental illness, people who use drugs, people who have given up their citizenship in the United States, people who have been dishonorably expelled from the military, people who have renounced their citizenship in the United States, people who are the subject of restraining orders, and people who have been accused of domestic violence offenses. Background check laws try to lessen crime and gun violence by limiting how harmful individuals could otherwise obtain firearms.

A background check is essential when buying a gun because it allows stopping persons who are highly likely to endanger themselves or others from getting access to firearms. Background check laws seek to lessen gun violence and crime by placing restrictions on the ways in which criminals could otherwise obtain firearms. The federal background check requirements, which previously only applied to transactions between a gun seller (a federal firearm licensee) and a buyer, are now extended to transactions between private parties by universal background check laws, which mandate background checks for all or nearly all transfers of firearms. Even though compliance is probably going to be intermittent, a universal background check is still one way to cut down on suicides or homicides involving firearms by discouraging unauthorized owners from trying to obtain weapons or making it more difficult for them to do so.

Background checks on gun purchases are also a strategy to lessen illegal gun trafficking. For instance, a study revealed that Compared to states without background checks for private firearms purchases, states with universal background checks saw a decrease in the number of guns used in crimes that were initially acquired out of state. At the state level, it has also been discovered that universal background checks diminish illegal intrastate gun trafficking, which frequently leads to gun violence in urban areas. State laws requiring universal background checks are also associated with a 29% decrease in crime involving interstate trafficking of firearms.

Background checks when buying a firearm are a cornerstone of other policies aimed at preventing gun violence. For instance, mandatory background checks can be supplemented with additional safeguards like licensing procedures that require fingerprinting and a waiting period in addition to a background check, strong gun removals laws like DV removal and extreme risk protection orders (also known as red flag laws), banning high-capacity magazines, raising the legal buying age for assault weapons (as well as all firearms) to 21, and strong funding for violence disruption programs. These safeguards frequently combine with one another and help lower gun violence.

The majority of Americans, including gun owners, support background checks when buying firearms. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, 91% of Americans (including 92% of Democrats and 79% of Republicans) support background checks for private gun sales and sales at gun shows. The fact that background checks are so widely supported implies that they are a sensible policy that can minimize gun violence while upholding the rights of conscientious gun owners.

Background checks for gun purchases can aid in the prevention of mass shootings. In the United States, mass shootings are an unfortunate and frequent event. Many times, the shooters legally acquired their weapons despite a history of mental illness or other red flags that should have disqualified them from possessing weapons. By preventing people who pose a high risk of committing violent crimes from legally purchasing firearms, background checks can help avert these tragedies. For instance, in Newtown, Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, a shooter killed 20 children and six adults. The shooter had a history of mental illness, and a licensed dealer had refused to let him buy a gun because of a failed background check. He was able to get guns from his mother, who had legally bought them without going through a background check. It's possible that the gunman would not have been able to purchase the weapons used in the attack if there had been comprehensive background checks.

Background checks for gun purchases are a crucial component in the effort to reduce gun violence. They have the potential to prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining firearms and can serve as the foundation for other gun violence prevention measures. The widespread support for background checks among Americans, including gun owners, suggests that they are a common-sense approach to reducing gun violence while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners. Implementing universal background checks can further strengthen this measure and help prevent tragedies such as mass shootings.