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Salt Lake County’s mayor forces background checks on private gun show sales

Anyone who attempts to purchase a firearm at a gun show held in Salt Lake County’s Mountain America Expo Center will be required to undergo a federal background check.

Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson says her effort to close what’s commonly known as the gun show “loophole” is a common-sense response to concerns about gun violence throughout the country. Before this switch, sales between two private parties didn’t require a background check.

“I support the rights of lawful gun owners, but the risk of a private transaction resulting in the sale of a firearm to someone with a violent criminal record or history of domestic abuse is a risk we cannot accept in Salt Lake County,” she said at a news conference announcing the policy change Monday.