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The sale put her family in danger and could have ended her son’s life.
This is why background checks matter.
Reno mother questions gun sale to mentally ill son
On-duty Reno officer sold weapon without background check
Reno Police Sgt. Laura Conklin posted an ad for her gun on the website Armslist, and the man responded, according to his mother, Jill Schaller of Reno. Conklin told him she worked the night shift and said she could meet him at 4 a.m. at a Starbucks.
They met, she asked if he had committed any crimes, and he said “no,” according to Schaller. Conklin sold the man a Glock handgun for $950 cash and gave him a bill of sale, which was signed by both parties.
Conklin apparently did not know that the man has Asperger’s syndrome, and that last year, he was committed to West Hills Hospital under what is called a “legal 2000” — meaning he was a threat to himself or others, Schaller said.
It is illegal under state and federal law for a person to possess a firearm if he or she was “committed to any mental health facility.” It also is illegal to sell a firearm to someone who has been institutionalized.
The sale illustrates what can happen when background checks are not required for private sales, Schaller said. The sale put her family in danger and could have ended her son’s life, she said. She has filed a complaint with the Reno Police Internal Affairs office; she and her son will be interviewed by investigators today.
Read More: http://www.rgj.com/article/20130710/NEWS/307100018/Reno-mother-questions-gun-sale-mentally-ill-son
On-duty Reno officer sold weapon without background check
Reno Police Sgt. Laura Conklin posted an ad for her gun on the website Armslist, and the man responded, according to his mother, Jill Schaller of Reno. Conklin told him she worked the night shift and said she could meet him at 4 a.m. at a Starbucks.
They met, she asked if he had committed any crimes, and he said “no,” according to Schaller. Conklin sold the man a Glock handgun for $950 cash and gave him a bill of sale, which was signed by both parties.
Conklin apparently did not know that the man has Asperger’s syndrome, and that last year, he was committed to West Hills Hospital under what is called a “legal 2000” — meaning he was a threat to himself or others, Schaller said.
It is illegal under state and federal law for a person to possess a firearm if he or she was “committed to any mental health facility.” It also is illegal to sell a firearm to someone who has been institutionalized.
The sale illustrates what can happen when background checks are not required for private sales, Schaller said. The sale put her family in danger and could have ended her son’s life, she said. She has filed a complaint with the Reno Police Internal Affairs office; she and her son will be interviewed by investigators today.
Read More: http://www.rgj.com/article/20130710/NEWS/307100018/Reno-mother-questions-gun-sale-mentally-ill-son
Note: the sale was almost certainly not illegal, because state law requires the seller to know that the buyer was prohibited from having a gun. Without any requirement to check, it's a huge ... dare I say ... loophole in the law.
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