HERE WE go again. In January, after President Biden promised to back stricter federal gun control measures, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted 4.3 million background checks nationwide for people who wanted to purchase a firearm. Thatâs a 79 percent increase over the number of background checks the FBI processed in January 2020âand an all-time record.
The same thing happened in Virginia following the passage of last yearâs raft of gun control bills, including a controversial red-flag law. After seven gun control bills were passed by the General Assembly last April and signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam, Virginians bought even more guns. According to the Virginia State Policeâs Firearms Transaction Center, a record 587,107 background checks were conducted in the commonwealth in just the first nine months of 2020.
The far-right, male-only group, the Proud Boys, will descend onto Washington, D.C., in protest the same day Congress plans to certify Electoral College votes, officially confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s win.