Police: Background check failed allowing Illinois shooter to buy gun

[jpak]

Source: Portland Press Herald

AURORA, Ill. — The man who killed five co-workers and wounded another and five police officers at a suburban Chicago manufacturing warehouse brought his gun to a meeting in which he was going to be fired, authorities said Saturday.

Because Gary Martin brought his gun to Friday’s meeting at the sprawling Henry Pratt Co. warehouse in Aurora, he likely knew it was possible he was about to lose the job he had held for 15 years, police Chief Kristen Ziman said at a news conference.

Ziman said she didn’t know what had been conveyed to Martin, why he was being fired or whether he had shown up for his regular shift or was there just for the meeting. But she said as soon as he was fired, he pulled his handgun and began shooting. Three of the five co-workers he killed were in the room with him and the other two were just outside, she said. A sixth employee and five police officers were shot but survived.

Frantic calls to 911 started pouring in from frightened workers at 1:24 p.m. and officers arrived at the scene within four minutes, authorities said. Martin fired on the officers when they arrived, striking one outside and another near the building’s entrance. The other three wounded officers were shot inside the building. None of their wounds are considered life-threatening, Ziman said Saturday.

<more>

Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2019/02/16/police-identify-5-workers-killed-in-aurora-attack/

---

Scroll down for background check info

[MadDAsHell]

1. Background checks of all kinds are a joke.

I work legal in an HR department for a health care organization. We're required to do all kinds of checks related to someone's background, but despite making these demands and having trillions in combined annual spending at their disposal, neither the state nor federal government provide any type of a national background check tool. Our only option is to cobble together the results of multiple tools provided by private companies.

That's a joke in 2019.

[Mr.Bill]

3. I am a volunteer at our local hospital

and had to undergo the some background check as any employee. I don't know the details but I know it was handled by an outside contractor. I was told it was federal and it cost $1,400.

[Mr.Bill]

2. Paywall

[jpak]

4. Go Incognito

You will see it.

[More_Cowbell]

5. I didn't hit a paywall

But I did have to acknowledge a pop-up about cookies; maybe your ad blocker was blocking that? Or I guess it's possible that the website has a limit of articles you can see for free, and I just haven't hit that limit.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Life in 2019 America. You cannot say or do anything as so many

others are carrying around loaded guns. If you bump somebody with a shopping cart in Wal-Mart, you might end up dead. If you were to say, "Stop" to someone slapping a kid, you might end up dead.

We have created an environment of isolation and fear.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. Here's a real shocker for you....

Aurora shooter’s FOID card was revoked; gun never confiscated
Posted 12:04 PM, February 16, 2019, by Ben Bradley, Updated at 12:37PM, February 16, 2019

Read more: https://wgntv.com/2019/02/16/aurora-shooters-foid-card-was-revoked-gun-never-confiscated/

(snips)

AURORA, Ill. — The fired employee who fatally shot five people at an Aurora manufacturing facility had a handgun despite a criminal history that includes an aggravated assault conviction and dozens of arrests for domestic violence and traffic violations. Aurora police on Saturday released new information about 45-year-old Gary Martin’s troubled past. It exposes a glaring hole in gun laws meant to keep weapons out of the hands of potentially dangerous individuals.
------------
“You don’t need fingerprints to purchase a firearm,” Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said Saturday. After receiving an FOID card in 2014, police said, Martin was fingerprinted when applying for a concealed carry permit. During the fingerprinting and background process, authorities discovered the 1995 aggravated assault conviction and revoked Martin’s FOID card.

Procedure dictates Illinois State Police would have sent a letter to Martin notifying him that his FOID card was revoked. A copy of the letter should have also been sent to Aurora police, since that’s where Martin was living. However, it appears neither Aurora nor state police attempted to confiscate Martin’s gun.

An Illinois State Police spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about confiscation; however, a 2017 Chicago Tribune article quoted an agency spokesperson as saying ISP doesn’t have the manpower to go out and confiscate weapons.

Amazing how in hind-sight, everything is always 20/20 with these shootings. This tragedy could have been easily prevented.

Some well to-do folks were killed and there will be some hell to pay over this one.....

[paleotn]

8. He bought the gun in March 2014

His firearm owners ID card was revoked that same spring after he failed the more rigorous background check for CC. YET...no one seems to have thought to confiscate his firearm?!....from a convicted felon, with no right to own a firearm in Illinois? Help me out here.