Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., on Monday called for improvements in how information is shared between federal and local law enforcement agencies in the wake of Sunday’s shooting at a church in Texas.
“In this case, I think what will come to light is we need better information sharing, if nothing else, in terms of criminal convictions or background check issues. We don’t have a good system now,” Flake told CNN. “The NICS system, we don’t share information like we should between local and federal agencies.”
Sen. Jeff Flake: “We need better information sharing,” Congress will “explore” how shooter was able to buy a gun https://t.co/0CnvaHUrHT— New Day (@NewDay) November 6, 2017
Twenty-six people were killed and roughly 20 were injured when a gunman opened fire on the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Police identified the shooter as 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley of New Braunfels, Texas. Kelley served in the U.S. Air Force from 2010 to 2014.
He was court-martialed in 2012 for assault on his wife and their child, and received a bad conduct discharge. Kelley also served a year in prison.
Police believe Kelley used a Ruger AR-556 rifle in the shooting, which he purchased at a sporting goods store in San Antonio, located west of Sutherland Springs, in April 2016. A law enforcement official told CNN Kelley indicated on background check paperwork that he didn’t have disqualifying criminal history, despite a law prohibiting people convicted of domestic violence from possessing a firearm.
Following Sunday’s shooting, many Democrats have again begun calling for Congress to pass gun control legislation, and Flake said he, too, believes Congress has to “do something more.”
But the Arizona senator said it’s not just Congress that needs to act, and reflected on his own experience at the GOP’s baseball practice in June, where a shooter opened fire on Republican lawmakers and wounded four people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.
“There’s no way you can experience something like that, and see bullets pitching right in front of you and not figure what can we do? We’ve got to do something more,” Flake said.
“We have to have a change in attitude and behavior. This person who fired on the baseball field, he had a legally possessed weapon and he wouldn’t have shown up on anything,” Flake continued. “Sometimes there are things that would matter in terms of what Congress does. Sometimes it’s more of a cultural issue, or it’s a matter of discourse and how we treat each other.”
