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PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: February 13, 2003
Newspaper Classified Ads Allow Prohibited Purchasers to Buy Firearms Without a Background Check
Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort Releases Report on Gun Sales Through Newspaper Classified Ads, and Calls on Madison Papers to Stop Accepting Ads
Madison, WI – The unregulated sale of firearms through classified ads in newspapers poses a threat to Wisconsin residents, according to a report released today by Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort (WAVE) during a press conference at the State Capitol. The report, Newspaper Loophole: A Threat to Wisconsin, provides the survey results of classified advertising policies of Wisconsin newspapers.
Recent classified ads from the Capitol Times and Wisconsin State Journal, which share a classified advertising department, were displayed including ads for assault rifles such as a Colt AR-15, and an AK-47, as well as ads for handguns and shotguns. No background checks are conducted on individuals purchasing firearms through classified ads from private sellers. WAVE respectfully asked the Wisconsin State Journal and Capital Times to stop accepting classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers due to the threat of gun sales without background checks. Any sale from a federally licensed dealer is conducted with a background check.
”Like the gun show loophole,” said Jeri Bonavia, WAVE Executive Director. “The newspaper loophole allows felons, domestic abusers, the mentally ill, terrorists and other persons in prohibited categories to buy firearms with no criminal background check, no identification, no questions asked. Criminals love this loophole, but it is putting the rest of us at increased risk for becoming victims of gun violence.”
The survey revealed that 20 out of 25 (80%) of Wisconsin’s major newspapers accept classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers. Of the newspapers that accept classified ads for guns, seven newspapers stated that they take ads for rifles and shotguns only – no handgun ads, while the other 13 newspapers take ads for all guns – rifles, shotguns, and handguns.
The five Wisconsin newspapers that don’t accept classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers are the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Green Bay News-Chronicle, Journal Times (Racine), Watertown Daily Times, and Daily Jefferson County Union (Fort Atkinson).
Under the Brady law, federally licensed gun dealers are required to conduct criminal background checks on all buyers and maintain records of their transactions. However, unlicensed individuals selling firearms cannot conduct background checks and are not required to check identification of the purchaser or keep records of the sale.
The report notes that most Americans have heard of the “gun show loophole” that allows unlicensed sellers to sell guns at gun shows without conducting a criminal background check on the buyer. But gun shows are just one venue for the unregulated sale of firearms by unlicensed sellers without criminal background checks. Other venues include flea markets, estate sales, the Internet and classified ads in newspapers.
To support its claim, WAVE points to a 1999 incident in Illinois and Indiana. Benjamin Nathaniel Smith purchased two guns – a Bryco .38 caliber handgun and a Ruger .22 caliber handgun – from Donald Fiessinger who advertised the guns sold to Smith in the classified section of the Peoria Journal Star newspaper. Over the following July 4th weekend, Smith went on a shooting spree in Illinois and Indiana that targeted African Americans, Jews, and Asians, killing two and wounding nine others. Killed were Ricky Byrdsong, former Northwestern University basketball coach, and Won Joon Yoon, a South Korean doctoral student at Indiana University. The spree ended when Smith committed suicide following a police chase.
Last fall, WAVE sent letters to newspapers around the state. The letter asked the newspapers to voluntarily adopt a policy of not accepting classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers. The letter noted that the Chicago Tribune and Philadelphia Enquirer recently changed their classified advertising policy and stopped taking classified ads for guns after the newspaper loophole was brought to their attention. “We would like to commend those Wisconsin newspapers that have taken responsible action to prevent prohibited purchasers from being able to buy guns through classified ads in newspapers,” said Heidi Rose, WAVE Project Manager. “We urge all Wisconsin newspapers to consider the danger of unregulated gun sales through the classifieds and to adopt a policy of not taking classified ads for guns from unlicensed sellers.”
“This country needs to do more to prevent prohibited purchasers from gaining access to guns,” said Bonavia. “Because of inaction by Congress and the Wisconsin legislature, we need to look at non-legislative initiatives to reduce gun violence. Closing the newspaper loophole is one such initiative.” The survey of Wisconsin newspapers was conducted by WAVE as part of a national campaign to close the newspaper loophole – a project by 24 state and grassroots gun violence prevention organizations working in 16 states. Of a total of 282 newspapers contacted in the 16 states, 217 newspapers (77%) responded that they accept classified ads for guns. Sixty-five newspapers (23%) responded that they do not take classified ads for guns.
John Johnson, executive director of Iowans for the Prevention of Gun Violence, and spokesperson for the National Campaign, explained that the objective of the campaign is not to criticize newspapers for their current policy, but to explain the concern with the unregulated sale of firearms through classified ads in newspapers. “We are confident that other newspapers will reconsider their classified advertising policy in the interest of public safety, as the Chicago Tribune and Philadelphia Enquirer have,” said Johnson.
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