RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Eight days after two journalists were fatally shot during a live broadcast at a Virginia resort, several Democratic legislators have produced a petition with nearly 28,000 signatures supporting expanded background checks for gun buyers.
The northern Virginia lawmakers unveiled the petition Thursday at a news conference in Arlington, signaling a likely push for universal background checks in the next legislative session. Currently, private sales - including those conducted at gun shows - are not subject to background checks.
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However, even the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 did not lead to tighter gun laws. To the contrary, lawmakers have worked to loosen gun regulations - including the repeal of Virginia's one-handgun-a-month purchase limit in 2012.
This story corrects the number of signatures to nearly 28,000.
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