Gun ownership state audits and registration records of over 1,000 handguns sold to Connecticut residents between 2010 and 2015 indicate that over half were purchased in states with extremely loose gun laws. In 2010, firearms sold to Connecticut buyers included guns from ten other states which failed to perform required background checks for nearly 80 percent of the guns sold. The report further examines Connecticut gun sales to residents from five of the nation’s most populous states (New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts and Illinois). While sales to New Yorkers accounted for 13 percent of Connecticut’s total gun sales, only New Jersey provided more guns than New York in absolute numbers, making it one of the most common sources of Connecticut firearms. Despite New York having some of the strictest gun laws in the country, guns were still delivered to Connecticut purchasers from many other states with severe gun control measures, such as New York, Hawaii, and California. In 2014, more than half of the guns sold to Connecticut residents were shipped to out-of-state recipients from states with severe gun control laws, including New York, California and Illinois. Connecticut gun sales to residents from outside the state far outpace gun sales by residents of Connecticut to non-residents. In 2010, 27 percent of the firearms sold in Connecticut were purchased by residents of other states. Even more recently, this percentage is approaching 30 percent. This may be one of the largest reasons Connecticut has seen the third highest increase in gun deaths since 1999, more than seven times that of its peer states. “One thing is very clear: more gun laws does not prevent guns from coming to Connecticut,” said Jonathan Lowy, Legal Director of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “States with extremely lax gun laws contribute to illegal gun trafficking, which brings dangerous guns into our state, thereby increasing gun violence.” “The facts clearly show that Connecticut gun laws do not deter gun trafficking into our state and they certainly don’t prevent guns from ending up in the wrong hands,” said Brady President Dan Gross. “What’s more, these trends were already at historic highs before the tragic Sandy Hook tragedy.” Connecticut ranks in the top third for gun deaths among its neighboring states, which means we are not alone. The percentage of firearms used in homicides that originated out-of-state has risen dramatically since the 1990s. Of the more than 11,000 gun homicides in the US since then, over 10,000 — or 89 percent — involved out-of-state guns. Connecticut’s out-of-state gun homicide rate is also high: nearly 50 percent of our state’s gun homicides occur in states where gun laws are relatively weak or nonexistent. “While legislators can pass new gun laws with their rhetoric and good intentions, the best way to fight crime is by enforcing the gun laws that are already on the books,” said State Senator Beth Bye. “Law enforcement professionals are on the frontlines of our fight against gun violence, and it’s important for the public to understand the challenges they face in prosecuting gun crimes and keeping guns out of the wrong hands.” Connecticut is one of the only states in the country to require reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or “NICS,” all gun sales by an in-state dealer. All of these gun sales must be recorded in the database, where records can be checked for prohibited purchasers, including convicted criminals, fugitives, and people with restraining orders. This provision makes Connecticut the only state that requires such reporting by all firearms dealers, and ensures our state is contributing to federal enforcement of the NICS. The FBI has reported over one million total background checks from Connecticut. The report notes that Connecticut is also at the forefront of efforts to restrict gun trafficking by: Investing significant resources to combat illegal gun trafficking; Providing an amnesty period during which illegally trafficked guns are returned to their rightful owners; and Continuing to hold the gun industry to its own voluntary standards by requiring gun dealers who violate their own industry best practices to cease doing business. “We continue to work with law enforcement and advocacy organizations to increase coordination and accountability, with the goal of preventing illegal guns from being trafficked to our state,” said Brady President Dan Gross. “We need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and other prohibited purchasers.” Connecticut must hold accountable those who sell guns to prohibited purchasers, including illegal gun traffickers, felons and fugitives, who then use them to commit crimes. Currently, gun owners in Connecticut are allowed to sell their guns without penalty, making it too easy for guns to fall into the wrong hands. Connecticut must continue to hold the gun industry to its own voluntary standards by requiring gun dealers who violate their own industry best practices to cease doing business. The state must also take action to ensure that guns are not illegally trafficked to our state. For example, Connecticut has the highest number of out-of-state NICS background checks than any other state in the country. Read the full report here.