Enforcing existing laws would have prevented the mass shooting at a church on Sunday in Sutherland Springs, Texas that left 26 people dead, House Speaker Paul Ryan said at a news conference on Tuesday, The Hill reported.
"How about enforcing the laws we've got on the books? This man should not have gotten a gun. You know why? Because he was a domestic abuser," Ryan replied when asked by The Hill what ideas he had to prevent mass shootings.
"We have laws on the books that says if you are a domestic abuser, you are not supposed to own a gun. He was a domestic abuser," the Wisconsin Republican said. "That's why we've got all these questions with the Air Force right now . . . How did this slip through the cracks? How is it that this person who was convicted of domestic abuse by the Air Force, how did he get through the system and get a gun?"
The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, bought at least two guns after passing background checks, even though he had received a bad conduct discharge from the Air Force, which should have prevented him from making such purchases, CBS News reported.
The Air Force admitted it failed to report Kelley's name to the National Criminal Information Center after he pleaded guilty to two counts of domestic violence in 2013.
However, The Hill pointed out that even if the Air Force had provided that information, Kelley may have easily and legally obtained firearms, because only licensed dealers are obligated to perform background checks through the federal database.
Unlicensed dealers, like some of those at gun shows and online, are not required to screen potential buyers, creating an enormous loophole for those with a violent history.
Democrats, and some in the GOP, have called for years to close this loophole but most Republicans, including Ryan, have rejected that plan as an unnecessary infringement of Second Amendment rights.
Ryan made his remarks Tuesday as he stood next to House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who nearly lost his life in June when another gunman fired shots at congressional Republicans playing baseball in Virginia.
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