A report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shows gun thefts from federally licensed dealers grew for the second straight year. More than 6,100 firearms, mostly handguns, were reported stolen—a rise of over 450 from 2014. Burglaries accounted for the greater part of thefts last year, at 4,721.
Of course, criminals stealing guns to sell to other criminals or use in later crimes is nothing new. In fact, most criminals don’t buy their guns from licensed dealers with a federal background check conducted; rather, they steal them, buy them on the street or get them from family or fellow gang members. That’s one reason so-called “universal” background checks—so widely touted as the answer by anti-gunners—prove fruitless in curtailing violent crime.
