BEFORE THE JUDGE SOME TIME
TODAY.
REPORT NOTHING DAYTONA BEACH,
REPORTING IN DAYTONA BEACH,
AMANDA CASTRO, NEWS 6.
JUSTIN: TIME FOR ANOTHER
INSTALLMENT OF FLASH POINT.
WE SIT DOWN WITH ERYKA
WASHINGTON AND TALKS ABOUT ONE
LOCAL COUNTY'S GUN SHOW
LOOPHOLE.
REPORTER: GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
I'M ERIK VON ANCKEN.
LAST WEEK HERE ON NEWS 6 WE
SHOWED YOU HOW WHEN THE
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM WENT UNDER
COVER TO BUY A GUN IN ONE LOCAL
COUNTY, THERE WERE NO QUESTIONS
ASKED.
VOLUSIA COUNTY AND 6 OTHERS
HAVE A GUN CONTROL ORDINANCE
THAT REQUIRES BACKGROUND CHECKS
BEFORE A PURCHASE SO EVEN WITH
THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE WE FOUND
RULES BEING IGNORED AND NEWS 6
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER ERYKA
WASHINGTON IS THE ONE WHO PUT
TOGETHER THIS REPORT.
SO ERYKA, FIRST QUESTION.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES?
FIRST THE TEAM WENT TO
DELAND TO THE VOLUSIA COUNTY
FAIR GROUNDS TO SEE IF WE COULD
BUY THE GUN.
WE WANTED TO TEST TO SEE
BECAUSE VOLUSIA DOES HAVE A GUN
ORDINANCE, A GUN COUNTY
ORDINANCE BASICALLY WHERE YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A BACKGROUND CHECK
AND 3DAY WAIT.
SO THE TEAM WENT IN.
AT FIRST WE WERE DENIED.
WE WERE TOLD, NO, YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A BACKGROUND CHECK AND
THEN ONE WILLING TO SELL THE
GUN NO QUESTIONS ASKED AND
WALKED OUT WITH THE GUN.
TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF HOW
EXACTLY IT WENT DOWN, I WANT
YOU TO WATCH THE STORY.
MY PRODUCERS WENT TO THE
DELAND GUN AND KNIFE SHOW TO
TRY TO BUY A HANDGUN.
FIRST A LICENCED DEALER TOLD
THEM THEY NEEDED TO WAIT 3 DAYS
SO THEY KEPT LOOKING.
THEN THEY FOUND THIS DEALER
HOLDING A SIGN.
READY TO SELL HER GUNS.
THEY HANDED OVER THE MONEY,
$350, AND THE UNDER COVER
PRODUCER IS GIVEN THE HANDGUN.
AFTER ONLY A GLANCE AT HIS
DRIVERS LICENSE.
NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
BECAUSE IT SHOULDN'T HAVE.
VOLUSIA COUNTY IS ONE OF 7
COUNTIES IN FLORIDA THAT CLOSED
THE SOCALLED GUNSHOW LOOPHOLE.
THAT MEANS THIS VOLUSIA COUNTY
ORDINANCE SAYS BOTH LICENCED
AND UNLICENCED SELLERS ARE
REQUIRED TO DO A CRIMINAL
HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECK AND A
3DAY WAITING PERIOD TO HAVE A
GUN AND THIS APPLIES TO GUN
SHOWS AND GUN EXHIBITS AND
COLLECTOR SHOWS BUT NO
BACKGROUND CHECK OR 3DAY WAIT
WAS EVER MENTIONED BY THE
PRIVATE SELLER AND WE DID NOT
SEE ANYONE AT THE SHOW
ENFORCING THIS COUNTY ORDINANCE.
WE WANTED TO HAND THIS TO
YOU.
WE TURNED THE HANDGUN TO THE
VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
WHERE WE REVEALED WHAT HAPPENED.
IT'S CERTAINLY DISAPPOINTING
TO SEE THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE THE
RULES ARE THERE FOR A REASON.
THE OWNESS IS ON THE SELLER
TO KNOW THE RULES AND
REGULATIONS IN VOLUSIA COUNTY?
IT'S ON THE SELLER AS WELL
AS THE PEOPLE ORGANIZING THESE
GUN SHOWS.
REPORTER: WE CONTACTED THE
ORGANIZER OF THE SHOW, SPORTS
SHOW SPECIALIST.
THEY SENT ME A PHOTO OF THIS
SIGN.
THEY SAY IT'S POSTED ON THE
FRONT ENTRANCE DOOR AND SAY
DEALERS EVEN SIGN AN AGREEMENT
STATING THEY WILL ABIDE BY ALL
COUNTY ORDINANCES.
SO WHO'S JOB IS IT TO ENFORCE
THIS RULE?
THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
JIS THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR
EN JURISDICTION IS THE ONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING IT.
IF THE GUNSHOW TAKES PLACE
WITHIN WE'LL DO OCCASIONAL SPOT
CHECKS AND MAY DO WALK THROUGHS.
REPORTER: STILL, ACCORDING
TO THE DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN
SENSE IN AMERICA, 40% OF GUNS
SOLD IN THIS COUNTRY ARE SOLD
WITHOUT A BACKGROUND CHECK.
NO, IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME
YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
WE NEED TO HAVE UNIVERSAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR ALL GUN
SALES THAT HAPPEN IN OUR STATE.
REPORTER: JOHN MAR, A
LICENCED GUN DEALER, DISAGREES.
WE DON'T NEED MORE
RESTRICTIONS ON GUN OWNERSHIP.
WE'VE GOT ENOUGH ALREADY ON THE
BOOKS.
BUT EVEN WITH THE ORDINANCE
ON THE BOOKS, WE FOUND RULES
BEING IGNORED.
SO IT WAS FAIRLY CLEAR THAT
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO FAR TO
FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD SELL YOU
A GUN WITHOUT ASKING FOR A
3DAY WAIT OR BACKGROUND CHECK.
ABSOLUTELY AND THE REASON
BASICALLY WITH THE LICENCED OR
UNLICENCED AND MOST CAN SELL
GUNS WOUL HAVING TO DO A 3DAY
WAIT BUT IN VOLUSIA COUNTY
ALTERNATES A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
LICENCED AND UNLICENCED ARE
SUPPOSED TO DOT BACKGROUND AND
3DAY WAIT.
I CAN TELL YOU THE BACKGROUND
CHECKS ARE DONE BY THE FDLE AND
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THE
CRIMINAL HESTRY OF THE BUYER.
SO THEY WANT TO SEE IF THEY
HAVE ANY CRIMINAL HISTORY THAT
WOULD BASICALLY DICTATE IF
YOU'RE ABLE TO SELL A GUN AND
THEY'LL KNOW RIGHT THERE WITHIN
MINUTES ON THE SPOT IF THEY
PASS THE BACKGROUND CHECK.
AND WHEN THE INVESTIGATIVE
PRODUCER ENDED UP PURCHASING
THE GUN FROM THE SELLER, WAS
THERE ANY CONVERSATION?
DID THE SELLER MAKE ANY MENTION
OF HAVING TO FOLLOW ANY RULES?
REPORTER: NOT AT ALL.
I WILL SAY THE SELLER DID LOOK
AT MY PRODUCER'S LICENSE
BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE TO BE 21
THEY DID LOOK AT LICENSE BUT
OTHER THAN EYEBALLING THE
LICENSE THE SALE WAS DONE.
AND THIS IS IN VOLUSIA COUNTY
AND I KNOW I'LL GET EMAILS.
THIS IS A COUNTY ORDINANCE
ENFORCED THERE IN VOLUSIA
COUNTY AND AS YOU MENTIONED
EARLIER ON, THERE ARE 6
COUNTIES SO 7 COUNTIES IN THE
STATE OF FLORIDA THAT DO HAVE
THIS ORDINANCE BASICALLY
CLOSING THAT GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE.
REPORTER: YOU TELL ME ABOUT
THE FEEDBACK AND EMAILS YOU'RE
GETTING.
FOLKS ARE SAYING WHAT'S THE
POINT SO WHAT WHEN THERE ARE
THOSE THAT DON'T REQUIRE THIS
AT GUNSHOWS.
IT'S THE GUNSHOW LOOPHOLE.
WHAT IS THE POINT?
WHAT IS THE SO WHAT HERE?
IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE
DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO IS
REALLY GOING TO DECKITATE HOW
THEY FEEL.
I WENT AND SPOKE WITH THE
PERSON WHO OWNS THE GUN DEALER
AND SAYS THERE ARE SO MANY
RULES IN THE BOOKS THAT THERE
ENOUGH BEING ENFORCED AND IT'S
JUST TOO MANY.
HE'S TOTALLY OPPOSED TO THIS.
BUT SPEAK TO SOMEONE ELSE,Y
SPOKE TO THE WOMAN AS YOU SAW
IN THE PIECE, CHERYL WHO IS
FROM MOMS DEMAND ACTION, FEELS
AS THOUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS AND
3DAY WAITS SHOULD BE STANDARD
AND GO WITHOUT QUESTION SO IT
DEPENDS.
PEOPLE ARE VERY PASSIONATE
ABOUT THIS.
REPORTER: OKAY, ERYKA
WASHINGTON, ONE OF OUR
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS HERE AT
NEWS 6.
MUCH MORE ON THIS CONVERSATION,
BECAUSE THERE IS MUCH MORE AND
BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A HOT
TOPIC AND ALSO WHAT'S NEXT,
WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE YOUR
REPORTER: WELCOME BACK TO
FLASHPOINT.
I'M ERIK VON ANCKEN HERE WITH
ERYKA WASHINGTON WHO WENT UNDER
COVER WITH OUR INVESTIGATIVE
TEAM TO LOOK INTO THIS
ORDINANCE THAT VOLUSIA
COINCIDENTY, ONE OF THE FEW IN
ALL OF FLORIDA THAT HAS A
SPECIAL ORDINANCE WHEN IT COMES
TO BUYING GUNS AT GUNSHOWS.
MY FIRST QUESTION HERE THERE IS
AN EXEMPTION IF YOU ARE BUYING
A GUN AT A VOLUSIA COUNTY GUN
SHOW DEPENDING ON IF YOU HAVE A
CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT.
REPORTER: THERE IS AN
EXCEPTION.
IF THE BUYER HAS A CONCEALED
WEAPONS PERMIT, THERE IS NO
BACKGROUND CHECK REQUIRED OR
3DAY WAIT.
IF YOU DO HAVE THE PERMIT, YOU
DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
THAT'S LICENCED AND UNLICENCED,
THEY'RE UNDER THE SAME RULES SO
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE
PEOPLE UNDERSTAND.
AND THIS IS NOT A NEW ORDINANCE.
THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN AROUND,
I BELIEVE SINCE 1998.
HOWEVER IT'S A MATTER OF
ENFORCING IT AND VOLUSIA COUNTY
SHERIFFS OFFICE, DEPEND ONING
WHERE THE GUNSHOW IS, IS WHICH
JURISDICTION IT FALLS IN IS WHO
HAS TO ENFORCE IT.
AT THE VOLUSIA COUNTY FAIR
GROUNDS THEY WOULD ENFORCE IT
THERE AND THEY SAY THEY DO SPOT
CHECKINS AND REGULARLY COME IN
AND WALK AROUND AND MAKE SURE
PEOPLE ARE ENFORCING AND USING
AND ABIDING BY THE RULES AND
LAW AND ABIDING BY THE COUNTY
ORDINANCE.
WHAT'S COME OF THIS
INVESTIGATION?
IT'S INTERESTING.
AFTER THE INVESTIGATION AND I
WANT TO MAKE SURE I SAY THIS
CORRECTLY, TOO, THE SHERIFF'S
OFFICES THEY'LL TALK TO THE
COUNTY ABOUT NOTIFICATION AS
WELL AS REMINDING THEM ABOUT
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COUNTY
ORDINANCE.
THE OWNNESS FALLS ON THE SELLER
TO KNOW THE RULES OF THE COUNTY
WHERE THEY'RE SELLING THE GUN.
THE GUN SHOW WHO THE PROMOTER
AND THEY SAY THEY'RE 100% TELL
THE SELLERS THEY HAVE TO KNOW
THE ORDINANCE AND POST A SIGN
AND THEY HAVE TO SIGN AN
AGREEMENT SAYING THEY WILL
ABIDE BY THE COUNTY ORDINANCE,
WHATEVER THOSE COUNTY
ORDINANCES MAY BE IN THE COUNTY
THE SHOW IS IN THEY HAVE TO
KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND ABIDE
BY THOSE LAWS.
TWO THINGS.
HAS ANYTHING HAPPENED TO THE
SELLER WHO SOLD OUR PRODUCER A
GUN AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
TYPICALLY TO SOME KNOW WHO
DOES?
WE DID NOT TURN THEM IN.
WE TURNED IN THE GUN.
TYPICALLY IF YOU'RE SELLING A
GUN AND NOT ABIDING BY THE
COUNTY ORDINANCE, AND VIOLATING
THE VOLUSIA COUNTY GUN SALE
ORDINANCE, YOU CAN FACE UP TO A
$500 FINE OR 60 DAYS IN JAIL.
THAT'S THE PENALTY FOR
VIOLATIN THE ORDINANCE.
IN THIS CASE, NO, WE DID NOT
PURSUE ANYTHING.
WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WITH THE
PERSON THAT SOLD US THE GUN.
AND THE SELLER DIDN'T
CONTACT YOU?
WE TURN THAD GUN INTO THE
VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE
STORY?
I SEE IN THE FEEDBACK PEOPLE
ARE WONDER WONDERING WHY, IN
THEIR WORDS, TO PICK ON VOLUSIA
COUNTY.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
REPORTER: I HAD JUST BEEN
DOING RESEARCH AND FOUND WITH
THE PROPOSED EXECUTIVE ORDER,
IT CAUSED A LOT OF TALK AND
PEOPLE LIKE I SAID ARE
PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND I WAS
JUST DOING RESEARCH AND DIDN'T
EVEN REALIZE THERE WAS EVEN
THIS ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
SO IN JUST DOING RESEARCH I
FOUND THAT VOLUSIA COUNTY AND 6
OTHER HIS THIS ORDINANCE AND
WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS
ENFORCED AND IF PEOPLE ENFORCE
THIS ORDINANCE AND IS IT
HELPFUL.
THE REALITY WE FOUND EVEN WITH
THIS GUN COUNTY ORDINANCE, YOU
CAN STILL GO IN AND PURCHASE
THE GUN WITHOUT THE 3DAY WAIT
OR BACKGROUND CHECK.
REPORTER: SOME OF THE OTHER
FEEDBACK I READ IS IT'S
TYPICALLY NOT LEGAL GUNS.
GUNS SOLD LEGALLY THAT ARE USED
IN CRIMES COMMITTED.
TO THEIR POINT, DOES THE
VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
SEE A PROBLEM HERE WITH THIS?
REPORTER: THEY BELIEVE
STRONGLY THAT THIS ORDINANCE,
THE RULES ARE THERE AND THEY
SHOULD BE ABIDING BY THE RULES.
AS FAR AS CRIMINALS USING GUNS,
I CAN TELL YOU I SPOKE WITH THE
OWNER OF THE DISCOUNT GUNS AND
HE SAYS CRIMINALS DON'T COME IN
TO BUY GUNS.
THEY GET THEM FROM THE STREETS
SO CRIMINALS ARE GOING TO GET A
GUN WHETHER IT IS LEGALLY OR
MOST LIKELY ILLEGALLY ON THE
STREETS.
THIS IS WHY IT IS SUCH A TOUCHY
TOPIC BECAUSE SHOULD THIS BE
ENFORCED?
IS IT REALLY GOING TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE?
IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU STAND.
REPORTER: ERYKA WASHINGTON,
THANK YOU.
AGAIN, A VERY HOT TOPIC.
WE POSED THE EXTENDED INTERVIEW
WITH THE LICENCED DEALER ON OUR
WEBSITE.
FIND IT BY HEADING TO
FACEBOOK.COM/NEWS6 AND ALSO
ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEIGH IN ON
THIS CONVERSATION.
GET ON THE NEWS 6 FACEBOOK PAGE.
WE KNOW A LOT OF YOU HAVE
OPINIONS ON THIS.
WE'D LIKE TO HEAR THEM AND