ISIS Tells Followers It’s ‘Easy’ to Get Firearms From U.S. Gun Shows

The Islamic State has urged its adherents to buy weapons from gun shows in the United States to take advantage of gun control laws.

“The acquisition of firearms can be very simple depending on one’s geographical location,” says a new piece in Rumiyah, ISIS’s propaganda magazine, the Washington Post reports. “In most U.S. states, anything from a single-shot shotgun all the way up to a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle can be purchased at showrooms or through online sales — by way of private dealers — with no background checks, and without requiring either an ID or a gun license.”

“With approximately 5,000 gun shows taking place annually within the United States, the acquisition of firearms becomes a very easy matter,” the article continues. A photo caption says, “Gun conventions represent an easier means of arming oneself for an attack.”

Gun control advocates worry that there are loopholes in U.S. law over firearm sales at gun shows and on the Internet, which can allow people to buy guns from unlicensed dealers without presenting identification or going through a background check.