Chuck Schumer: “we are an odd group of Senators, but not when it comes to making sure that guns are kept away from drug addicts, felons…”

“we are an odd group of Senators, but not when it comes to making sure that guns are kept away from drug addicts, felons, illegal aliens and others. Today, we're announcing an extremely important new bill that would plug up the gaping holes that are currently in the Justice Department's gun background check system. This bill is needed to prevent brutal, senseless murders like the one that took place in a Long Island church a few months ago from ever happening again. For those of you who may not know what happened, on March 8, 2002, Peter J. Troy walked into Britt's Firearms in Mineolan, NY and purchased a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Four days later, he walked into a church in Lynbrook, NY, Our Lady of Peace, and shot and killed the Reverend Lawrence M. Penzes and Eileen Tosner. Mr. Troy had a history of mental health problems, and had been admitted to Bellevue Hospital Center and Nassau University Medical Center on at least two occasions. In addition, Mr. Troy's mother had a restraining order issued against him in February 1998, which he violated on more than one occasion. Yet despite his history of mental illness and violent behavior, Mr. Troy was approved to purchase the rifle by a Federal background check. In fact, there was no records on Peter J. Troy in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, NICS, at all. That never, ever should have happened. We knew Peter Troy was a violent man. We knew he was mentally ill.”