Virginia Tech victims' families and Brady President Paul Helmke speaking at a press conference with Senators Lautenberg (NJ) and Reed (RI) urging Congress to close the gun show loophole.

Senators Frank Lautenberg and Jack Reed introduced legislation [S. 2577] that would strengthen the Brady criminal background check system by closing the gun show loophole.

The Brady Law requires criminal background checks of gun buyers at licensed dealers, but there is a loophole at gun shows. Convicted felons, domestic violence abusers, and those who are dangerously mentally ill can walk into any gun show and buy weapons from unlicensed sellers without being stopped, no questions asked.

Several families of the Virginia Tech massacre and Brady Campaign President, Paul Helmke, joined the Senators on Capitol Hill and urged Congress to pass this important bill that would help keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people.