Written by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg released videos at 2 p.m. Wednesday that show violations of gun laws in three other states in a sting operation he authorized that cost city taxpayers $1.5 million and comes weeks before his bid for re-election.
The videos show seven gunshows in Ohio, Tennessee and Nevada where some vendors are featured “openly selling weapons to buyers who admitted they couldn’t pass background checks,” according to the Associated Press.
Supporters of gun control have fought against the “gun show loophole,” in which unlicensed dealers can sell guns at trade shows, without performing background checks. New York is one of nine states, the AP reports, that require background checks on firearms sold at guns shows as well.
Nonetheless, federal law prohibits even unlicensed dealers from selling to people they suspect would fail a background check. Bloomberg says his videos show 19 out of 30 of these casual sellers broke that law, by selling to people who suggested they couldn’t pass a background check.
