The white gunman who massacred nine black churchgoers last month in Charleston, South Carolina was only able to purchase the gun he used in the shooting because of an “error” in the background check system, the FBI said Friday.
“This case rips all of our hearts out, but the thought that an error on our part is connected to a gun this person used to slaughter these people is very painful to us,” FBI Director James Comey told reporters, as quoted by The Washington Post.
Comey said that Roof’s admission to narcotics possession in February was not properly entered into the agency’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System due to a record-keeping error, according to the Post.
Contrary reports in the days after the shooting indicated that the shooter, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, purchased the gun legally despite an arrest on drug charges. Current and former officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told NBC News at the time that Roof’s purchase was legal under federal gun laws.
Comey’s comments Friday appeared to remove any doubt that current gun laws should have prevented Roof from purchasing a gun. “We are all sick this happened,” Comey said. “We wish we could turn back time.”
In light of the Comey revelation, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called for the Senate to hold hearings on the background check problems:
“It is heartbreaking to learn the tragedy that struck the members and families of Mother Emanuel Church and shook the entire nation possibly could have been prevented,” Leahy said. “We simply cannot have such failures in our background check system, and people’s lives are at stake. Clearly, more oversight is needed. I expect the Senate Judiciary Committee will be looking further into this matter so we can make sure such a tragic mistake is never repeated.”
