Dangerous loophole in Wisconsin gun control law
Milwaukee, WI,
February 7, 2013
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TMJ4 (I Team)
By Steve Chamraz MILWAUKEE - The push for new gun control laws came in response to the murder of 20 children in Newtown, Conn. But to the family of a local shooting victim, the President Obama’s proposals are personal. The family of Zina Daniel does not agree with everything the President wants, though they do think one part just makes sense. It would close the loophole that allowed her killer to easily buy a gun no questions asked. "There's no reason why anybody shouldn't wait, couldn't wait that three day period,” said Zina’s older brother, Elvin Daniel. The three day waiting period for firearm purchases was designed to prevent crimes of passion. It also allows time for licensed gun dealers time to run a background check on the buyer. Here is the loophole: guns can change hands for cash between two private parties with no record of the transaction and no background check required. This is the loophole Radcliffe Haughton exploited in the days before his deadly rampage. A flaw in the law democratic Rep. Gwen Moore wants to close. “Government has a compelling interest to regulate this,” Moore said. Supporters of gun rights are not as willing to bend on universal background checks. Nik Clark is president of Wisconsin Carry, an advocate for the most lenient gun laws possible. He believes universal background checks would do more to hurt the rights of responsible gun owners than stop killers like Radcliffe Haughton. "It's not going to stop a suicidal manic from committing his crime,” Clark said. “If you're willing to murder somebody, it would be easy to get your hands on a gun." Just not as easily as Reginald Haughton got his gun. Through the website armslist.com. Armslist is a matchmaking site for those looking to buy and sell guns. If buyer and seller are close enough to meet in person, the deal can be sealed. The I-TEAM made repeated attempts to get answers from the company and never heard back. "All we need to do is close the loopholes that we got and one of them is buying on the internet,” said Elvin Daniel. To view this article online, please click here.
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