Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) who’s emerged as a high-profile advocate for new gun laws, purchased an assault weapon last week in a move intended to prove the uninvasive nature of background checks.
On Friday, Kelly took to his official Facebook page to post a photo of himself filling out a background check form at a Tucson, Ariz. gun store. In the post, Kelly, a retired astronaut, said he purchased a used AR-15, which he intends to submit to the police department in Tucson.
“Looks like the judiciary committee will vote on background checks next week. I just had a background check a few days ago when I went to my local gun store to buy a 45,” Kelly wrote. “As I was leaving, I noticed a used AR-15. Bought that too. Even to buy an assault weapon, the background check only takes a matter of minutes. I don’t have possession yet but I’ll be turning it over to the Tucson PD when I do. Scary to think of people buying guns like these without a background check at a gun show or the Internet. We really need to close the gun show and private seller loop hole.”
Kelly has been an omnipresent figure in the ongoing debate over gun policy. In January, he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a hearing on gun violence in the country.
h/t CNN
