WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department has been investigating new ways to curb gun violence in the United States, including expanding and automating earlier this year the federal databases used in background checks on gun purchasers and coming up with new ideas for legislation to be considered by Congress and the White House.
A working group made up of officials from around the Justice Department and the department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had been working on some recommendations before 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children and six adults last week at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
A Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record on this issue, confirmed the working group's existence, which was first reported by The New York Times. The newspaper also reported the group considered asking Congress to increase criminal penalties for "straw" purchasers - those people who buy guns for others who cannot pass a federal background check.
The Justice Department refused Monday to confirm the group's existence, talk about any of its recommendations or comment on whether it will now try to come up with other proposals on gun safety.
Justice officials did say that since the January 2011 mass shooting in Tucson that killed six and wounded 13 including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the department has on its own expanded and improved the databases used for background checks on gun buyers.
Last April, the department decided to include into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is one of the databases used by the FBI in gun background checks, the names of people who are banned from owning guns by state law. Federal officials also expanded the information that can be submitted to the Interstate Identification Index to help identify whether some state misdemeanors would make a person ineligible to own a gun under federal law.
The Justice Department also in May automated its NICS submission system so that all federal indictments, convictions, and arrest warrant information under its control are automatically fed into the NICS, instead of relying on individual law enforcement officers and prosecutors to manually load the information. Officials said that as a result, critical information from nearly 113,000 pending indictments and criminal charges filed across the country have been instantly fed into the NICS Index.
JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated Press
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Justice Department working on new gun safety recommendations
Related Stories
- More Texas News
- National News
- International News
- Pastor sentenced to 2 years for online soliciting
- Boy Scout leaders to vote on lifting gay ban
- Fort Hood suspect seeks to fire Army attorneys
- Stanford chandelier sells for $158,500 at auction
- Man indicted on claim he set fiancee's home ablaze
- Warrant: Mother thought she left baby at day care
- House members kill more Senate bills as revenge
- Float driver says train seemed still before crash
- Float driver: Train seemed still before crash
- Dallas woman indicted, college financial aid scam
- Judge apologizes for lag in unsealing documents
- Boy Scout leaders to vote on lifting gay ban
- 2 children bitten by fox at Ga. elementary school
- Fort Hood suspect seeks to fire Army attorneys
- Appeals court allows capital retrial of Wolfe
- Soldier charged with videotaping women
- Afternoon Coverage Outlook
- Man shot and killed by authorities was a Chechen who'd been asked about ties to bombing suspect
- Stocks fall on news Fed weighed cutting stimulus
- House panel moves to curb military sexual assaults
- Costa Rican volcano spews ash, smoke
- France boosting security at facilities abroad
- Mexico cartel dominates, torches western state
- Vatican releases 1st report of financial watchdog
- Cruise ship captain says he's not frightened by prospect of prison time
- Police arrest Dominican accused of raping 60 women
- Ousted premier seeks return to power in Caymans
- UN: New reports of chemical weapons use in Syria
- Opposition in Burkina Faso vow to fight Senate law
- Argentine dictator Videla's burial protested
Automotive
Find valuable information about buying your next car, including price quotes and your latest automotive news.
Wedding Central
The greatest Southeast Texas story ever told. Share your wedding and engagement news!
Lost and Found Pets
These are pets that have been lost or found in the KFDM News Channel 6 viewing area.
No Text Zone
Texting While Driving Kills Thousands of People Each Year. Many More are Seriously Injured. You Can Help Make Our Roads a NO TEXT ZONE
Texas Lottery
Texas Lottery
Community Calendar
Check out our Community Calendar!
Baby Talk
Baby Talk with Nicole Murray.
KFDM Channel 6 Top Stories
Business News
Bernanke signals Fed to maintain stimulus efforts
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Chairman Ben Bernanke is telling Congress that the U.S. job market remains weak and that it is too soon for the Federal Reserve to end its extraordinary stimulus programs.
Consumer News
BC-US--Dow Record-Three Personal Stories, 1st Ld-Writethru,1173
Dow Record: Three tales of ups, downs and changes
AP Photo FX102, FX103
Eds: With BC-US--Dow Record. Adds photos.
By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- When the Dow first crossed 14,000, investors were overjoyed. ...
Entertainment News
"DANCING WITH THE STARS" - KELLIE PICKLER WINS
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kellie Pickler didn't win on "American Idol."
Get This
DOG BEACH WEAR
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- From bikinis to Hawaiian shirts -- it's time to gear up for the beach.
Science/Tech News
IN THE NEWS: TEENS MOVING TO TWITTER TO DODGE PARENTS, OTHER BORES
WASHINGTON (AP) -- If you're one of those parents who are on Facebook in part to keep an eye on what your kids are up to -- here's a news flash: your kids are on to you and have moved to Twitter.

