US military added 4,000 to gun ban list after Texas church massacre: report

The U.S. military has added more than 4,000 names of dishonorably discharged service members to a national background check system in the months since an ex-airman opened fire in a church, CNN reported.

Devin Kelley opened fire in a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November, killing 26 people.

Kelley had been court-martialed in 2012 for assaulting his wife and stepson, and as a result should have been blocked from purchasing a firearm. However, the Air Force failed to submit his records to the FBI’s background check system.

{mosads}In an effort to address the problem, the Department of Defense has worked to update the FBI’s background check system. The effort has led to an increase of 4,284 names added to the system based on dishonorable discharges, CNN reported.

The Texas church shooting prompted lawmakers to introduce legislation to strengthen the national background check system.

One bipartisan bill required states and agencies to produce plans for sending records to the National Instant Background Check System that would show if an individual is prohibited from buying a gun and verifying the information is accurate. 

Another proposal in response to the shooting was aimed at eliminating the loophole that allowed Kelly to purchase a gun. It would require that the military report domestic violence convictions that were handled through court-martial to the background check system.