Odessa Shooter Illegally Obtained Firearm in Private Sale
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The lone gunman who killed seven and injured 22 in a series of drive-by shootings in Odessa and Midland, Texas on Saturday obtained the firearm he used in the attack through an illegal private sale.
Local police told ABC News and other outlets that the shooter, 36-year-old Seth Ator, previously attempted to purchase a firearm from a licensed seller but was denied after failing a background check due to his history of “mental illness.” He then purchased the “AR-15 type” rifle that he used in the attack from a private seller who was under no legal obligation to conduct a background check on him.
The revelation that Altor obtained his weapon in a private sale will undoubtedly reinvigorate congressional Democrats’ calls for universal-background-check legislation that would require private sellers to conduct background checks in the same way that gun retailers do currently.
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