New gun law has blocked over 500 firearms from being bought by young people, attorney general says

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday that more than 500 gun purchases have been blocked since a new gun law requiring stricter background checks for young people went into effect in 2022. The bipartisan law passed in June 2022 was the most sweeping gun legislation in decades and requires extra checks for any gun purchases by people under age 21. The news comes the day after a school shooting in Iowa left a sixth-grader dead. The Justice Department says people denied gun purchases include a someone convicted of rape and a suspect in an attempted murder case. President Joe Biden said the news was an important milestone and called for additional measures.