Based on the number of people who have applied for a background check to purchase a firearm, Florida is on pace to set a new record for gun sales, according to WEAR Channel 3. By the end of the year, its estimated the state will do 800,000 background checks -- double the number conducted in 2007. WEAR reports that the day after Thanksgiving is often the biggest day for gun sales.
Meanwhile, a state audit concludes that a registry intended to keep guns away from people who have severe mental illness is outdated and inaccurate. Called Florida’s Mentally Defective Database, the registry is three years and 3,700 names behind in its updating, Florida Watchdog reports.The state auditor general’s report noted these record-keeping problems could mean that people are buying guns who are at risk of harming themselves or others.
