More than 500 people, some of whom are related to multinational cartels and organized crime organizations, have been charged with gun trafficking and other offenses under the landmark gun safety law signed by President Joe Biden two years ago on Tuesday.
According to a White House study acquired by The Associated Press on the implementation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, improved background checks under the new law have prevented approximately 800 handgun purchases to minors under the age of 21, who would otherwise be forbidden from purchasing them.
It emphasizes that 14 states are using or intend to use cash from the legislation to improve the use of red flag laws, which empower law enforcement to remove weapons from people in crisis but are frequently underutilized or poorly understood. The report also details how $85 million in funding has been provided to 125 school districts in 18 states to assist in identifying and delivering mental health care to students in need.
“It was designed to reduce gun violence and save lives,” Biden previously stated of the legislation. “And I’m so proud of our tremendous progress since then.”
The bill was a signature achievement for the Democratic president, and details on how it was administered have emerged as he seeks reelection in November. However, Biden is quick to point out that the measure does not go far enough, and he continues to advocate for tighter background checks and an assault weapons ban.
Meanwhile, Republican probable presidential contender Donald Trump has promised no new gun regulations if elected president.
Trump has addressed two National Rifle Association events this year and received the group’s endorsement in May. The former president said Biden “has a 40-year record of trying to rip firearms out of the hands of law-abiding citizens.”
His campaign and the Republican National Committee recently announced the formation of the Gun Owners for Trump coalition, which comprises gun rights advocates and individuals working in the weapons industry.
Biden established the first White House office dedicated to gun violence prevention and released new guidelines requiring tens of thousands of gun dealers around the country to do background checks on customers at gun shows and other non-traditional retail locations. He has also worked to make firearm storage safer.
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Biden’s campaign believes that gun control is a motivating issue for voters, particularly suburban college-educated women, who might be crucial in many critical battlegrounds this fall. Biden’s team and allies have released videos of Trump declaring, “We have to get over it,” after an Iowa school shooting in January, and then assuring NRA members in May that he “did nothing” about guns during his presidency.
According to AP VoteCast, a broad survey of voters, over 7 in 10 suburban college-educated women who voted in the 2022 midterm elections backed tougher gun control measures, yet fewer than 1 in 10 ranked it as the country’s top problem.
Violent crime fell in 2023, reversing a coronavirus pandemic-era increase. Still, weapons remain the leading cause of death among children in the United States, according to American Academy of Pediatrics data. So far this year, 110 children under the age of 11 have died as a result of gun violence, while 566 youngsters aged 12 to 17 have died. The Pew Research Center reports that the number of adolescents and teenagers murdered by firearms in the United States increased by 50% between 2019 and 2021.
According to AP data, 12 mass shootings have occurred in 2024. A mass killing is described as an attack that kills four or more persons, excluding the offender, within 24 hours. The United States Surgeon General called gun violence a public health epidemic on Tuesday, citing the nation’s rapidly increasing incidence of firearm-related injuries and deaths.
Courts frequently obstruct gun control efforts. In 2022, the conservative-majority United States Supreme Court strengthened gun rights, altering how judges review firearm limitations. It just rejected a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, the rapid-fire gun attachments used in the most lethal mass shooting in modern US history.
However, late last week, the court upheld a gun limitation law aimed at protecting victims of domestic abuse. The case was keenly observed because of its potential impact on other cases where gun ownership restrictions have been challenged, such as the conviction of Hunter Biden. The president’s son was convicted of lying on paperwork to obtain a firearm while addicted to narcotics, and his lawyers have indicated that he will appeal.
On June 25, 2022, President Biden signed gun safety legislation, a bipartisan agreement developed in response to a series of mass shootings, including the killing of 19 pupils and two instructors at a Texas elementary school.
On Tuesday, gun safety groups welcomed the measure and Biden’s efforts. “We are determined to build on this momentum and urge Congress to continue prioritizing gun safety laws to keep our communities safe,” stated Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action.
The federal prosecutions prosecuted under the new statute include one defendant sentenced to 23 years in prison for trafficking guns in gang-related shootings and another sentenced to two years for running an unlawful gun trafficking operation.
In March, five men were arrested in Texas on allegations of transporting military-grade weaponry to a Mexican drug cartel. The allegations include gun trafficking and straw purchases, which occur when one individual buys a gun on behalf of another who is legally unable to do so. Hundreds of illicit guns were taken off the street.
According to the implementation report, the Biden administration has also supported over 80 organizations around the country with $250 million in legislation and other appropriations to promote community violence intervention projects.