The Gun Show Loophole is a serious gap in our nation's gun laws, which allows individuals to buy guns without passing a background check. Over the years, this loophole has resulted in countless tragic shootings -- including the one at Columbine High School and the recent shooting of Pentagon police officers.

[...]

The Problem: "Gun Show Loophole" refers to the fact that current federal law allows private sellers to sell firearms without conducting background checks or keeping sales records. This loophole gives criminals and gun traffickers an easy source of guns. While private sellers are exempted from running background checks no matter where they make the sale, this loophole is associated with gun shows because they are the largest and most central marketplace where these private sellers can easily connect with purchasers who wish to avoid detection.

Key Facts About the Gun Show Loophole:

* According to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), 30% of illegally trafficked guns are connected to gun shows.

* An undercover investigation of private sellers at gun shows found that 63% of private sellers broke the law by selling to people who they thought could not pass a background check.

* States that have not closed the Gun Show Loophole export guns involved in interstate trafficking at twice the rate of states that require background checks by private sellers at gun shows.