Background checks in Colorado spike after shooting

CNN report that such figures show 43% increase over the previous Friday through Sunday, when 2,012 background checks cleared. On the Friday and Saturday right after the shooting, more than 1,200 applicants were approved on each of those two days. Figures from earlier in the month showed a low of 820 and a high of 929 approvals on Fridays and Saturdays through the state’s InstaCheck unit. Background checks are legally required in Colorado before anyone can buy a firearm at a store or gun show. Officials did not offer an explanation for why more people applied to buy firearms. However, such a trend is no surprise. In fact, there were also spikes after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting and the 2011 Tucson, Arizona, shooting. After such a tragedy, people want to ensure that they can protect themselves and their families should they suffer a similar situation. Firearm regulation has become a contentious topic of debate since the incident last Friday, with two different groups of supporters advocating two very different solutions. Whether gun control is tightened or not, there’s no doubt that thorough background checks on firearm and firearm accessory purchases can help prevent something like this happening again.]]>