Mass shooters exploited gaps, errors in US background checks

Most mass shooters in the U.S. acquired the weapons they used legally because there was nothing in their background to disqualify them, according to James Alan Fox, a criminologist with Northeastern University who has studied mass shootings for decades.

O'Rourke calls for mandatory buyback of AK-47, AR-15 rifles

Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke says a mandatory government buyback program for AK-47 and AR-15 rifles is needed because other gun control measures don't do enough to remove weapons already on the streets.

McConnell says he's waiting on Trump to chart path on gun legislation

Congressional Republicans are waiting for the White House to chart a path forward on gun violence legislation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, effectively putting the burden on President Donald Trump to decide the GOP's legislative response to the spate of mass shootings that included another deadly attack in Texas over the weekend.

Texas shooter purchased gun at private sale; denied in 2014 check

The gunman in a West Texas rampage that left seven dead obtained his AR-style rifle through a private sale, allowing him to evade a federal background check that blocked him from getting a gun in 2014 due to a "mental health issue," a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

7 killed, 22 injured in West Texas shooting rampage

Authorities said Sunday they still could not explain why a man with an AR-style weapon opened fire during a routine traffic stop in West Texas to begin a terrifying rampage that killed seven people, injured 22 others and ended with officers gunning him down outside a movie theater. 

Police chief: 5 dead in West Texas mass shooting

At least five people were dead after a gunman who hijacked a postal service vehicle in West Texas shot more than 20 people, authorities said Saturday. The gunman was killed and three law enforcement officers were among the injured.

Attacks by US extremists prompt push for anti-terror laws

Two mass shootings and a presidential tweet put a spotlight on the idea of "domestic terrorism," adding momentum to a debate about whether such attacks should be classified and tried in the same way as crimes against America by foreign extremist groups and their supporters.