According to the ATF, purchasing a gun illegally—especially for someone who is prohibited from doing so—is what’s fueling gun violence and trafficking across state lines, and the penalties if caught result in someone serving up to 15 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

A federal judge on Friday rejected a challenge to a Washington state law that cleared the way for lawsuits against the gun industry in certain cases.

Illinois will soon outlaw advertising for firearms that officials determine produce a public safety threat or appeals to children, militants or others who might later use the weapons illegally.

The families of nine victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have agreed to a $73 million settlement of a lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used to kill 20 first graders and six educators in 2012.

Each week in June is now in the top 10 weeks for background checks. Halfway through 2020, just over 19 million checks have been done, more than all of 2012 and each of the years before that. Background checks are the key barometer of gun sales, but the FBIs monthly figures also incorporate checks for permits that some states require to carry a firearm. Firearm sales traditionally increase during presidential election years, fueled by fears among gun owners that the next president could restrict their rights. Politicians who entertain notions of defunding police departments are the same ones who call for strict gun control and even outright confiscation, he said.