--- title: Mark Kelly on How Gun Laws Make U.S. Vulnerable to Terrorism description: Congress should close the terror gaps in our gun laws that allow dangerous people to buy firearms without background checks canonical: https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/ author: Mark Kelly article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-28T15:10:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:43.808Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Mark Kelly: America's Gun Laws Make Us Vulnerable to Terrorists og:description: We should close the gaps in our gun laws that allow dangerous people to buy guns og:url: https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cfd3697bc948617/698890b2524fc0331fdf7bb0/mark-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Captain Mark Kelly speaks at the 'Not One More' Event in New York City on Feb. 10, 2015. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mark Kelly: America's Gun Laws Make Us Vulnerable to Terrorists twitter:description: We should close the gaps in our gun laws that allow dangerous people to buy guns twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cfd3697bc948617/698890b2524fc0331fdf7bb0/mark-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Mark Kelly: America's Gun Laws Make Us Vulnerable to Terrorists > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=dcdfc4f6-1603-4fad-a25c-327d92c5cf3b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=dcdfc4f6-1603-4fad-a25c-327d92c5cf3b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=dcdfc4f6-1603-4fad-a25c-327d92c5cf3b&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: TIME Raw: Trump On Terror Recruitment Video, Gun Control, and Hillary Clinton [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Raw: Trump On Terror Recruitment Video, Gun Control, and Hillary Clinton](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yODsIiY1.m3u8) (1:18)  _Published 2016-01-03_ by [Mark Kelly](https://time.com/author/mark-kelly/) ## Mark Kelly Apr 28, 2016 3:10 PM UTC  Captain Mark Kelly speaks at the 'Not One More' Event in New York City on Feb. 10, 2015. Captain Mark Kelly speaks at the 'Not One More' Event in New York City on Feb. 10, 2015. Monica Schipper—2015 Getty Images by [Mark Kelly](https://time.com/author/mark-kelly/) ## Mark Kelly Apr 28, 2016 3:10 PM UTC In 2011, an American-born al-Qaeda spokesman named Adam Gadahn [took to YouTube](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the%5Fslatest/2015/12/04/al%5Fqaida%5Furged%5Ffollowers%5Fto%5Ftake%5Fadvantage%5Fin%5Fof%5Fu%5Fs%5Fgun%5Flaws%5Fin%5F2011.html) to exhort sympathizers to arm themselves for attacks: “America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms,” he said. “You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?” We should have commonsense laws that help guard our communities against the growing threat of active shooter terrorism. Instead, we have loopholes in our gun laws that allow known and suspected terrorists to pass criminal backgrounds check legally and buy guns. It’s up to our leaders in Congress to close the gaps in our gun laws that make us vulnerable to terrorist attacks here in America. The consequences of this “[terror gap](https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/report/2015/11/20/126060/fact-sheet-the-terror-gap/)” are clear: it allows dangerous people to get their hands on guns. According to the Government Accountability Office, known or suspected terrorists have [attempted](http://time.com/4144815/connecticut-guns-no-fly-list/) to purchase guns or explosives from America dealers more than 2,200 times since 2004\. They successfully obtained weapons 91% of the time. Still, the gun lobby and many of the candidates and elected officials it backs have worked hard to protect this dangerous loophole. Their strategy? Deny the facts and spread misinformation. National Rifle Association President David Keene has [said](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/nra-president-terrorists-don-t-buy-guns): “There’s no evidence terrorists are buying guns.” Meanwhile, active shooter terrorism has increasingly become a global threat. Gun-wielding terrorists in [Mumbai](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-14662732) killed 174 people at hotels and other landmarks in 2008\. Al-Shabaab militants in [Nairobi](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/04/westgate-mall-attacks-kenya) stormed the upscale Westgate Mall in 2013, shooting and killing 67 people and wounding at least 175 others. Twice in 2015 this brand of terror visited Paris—in January, when terrorists stormed the offices of [Charlie Hebdo](http://time.com/3658966/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting-terror-attack/) and murdered 12 people, and again in [November](http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/08/europe/2015-paris-terror-attacks-fast-facts/), when gunmen wielding military-style rifles and explosives killed at least 130 people and seriously wounded scores more. As ISIS claimed responsibility for that barbarism in the City of Light, it also sent a [warning](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-islamicstate-idUSKCN0T51AM20151116) to the U.S.: “We swear that we will strike America.” And on Dec. 2, 2015, in [San Bernardino](http://time.com/4133841/what-to-know-san-bernardino/), Calif., two people armed with high-powered rifles and handguns murdered 14 people and injured 21 others in what authorities have since called a [terrorist attack](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/obama-san-bernardino-terror-216451). Suspected terrorists are prohibited from flying, but national security officials are powerless to prohibit them from buying a gun. The Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who obtained a [Ruger pistol](http://abcnews.go.com/US/boston-marathon-bombing-tale-gun/story?id=29898790) that was used to kill an MIT officer, was on a terrorist [watch list](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/us/tamerlan-tsarnaev-bomb-suspect-was-on-watch-lists.html?%5Fr=0). So were the [Charlie Hebdo attackers](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/09/charlie-hebdo-suspects-us-terrorist-watchlist-cherif-said-kouachi). And terrorists can circumvent the background-check system entirely by buying guns at gun shows or via websites like [Armslist.com](http://armslist.com/), which boasts tens of thousands of guns for sale in all 50 states and two U.S. territories. Steps to close this dangerous terror gap seem to only be controversial in Washington. [Seventy-six percent](http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300512) of National Rifle Association members and [82% of gun owners](http://www.nejm.org/action/showImage?doi=10.1056%2FNEJMp1300512&iid=t01) support measures that prohibit known and suspected terrorists from legally accessing firearms. This overwhelming support is also bipartisan, with [86%](http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2312) of voters in support of closing the terror gap. Voters want Congress to set aside special interests and ideological agendas, and close these loopholes. All that would require is two commonsense steps. First, close the dangerous loophole that allows people to purchase firearms at gun shows or online without a background check. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System typically performs a background check in [less than one minute](https://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/2013-operations-report), and they’re already required by law for gun purchases from federal firearms licensees. Second, give the Justice Department authority to prohibit the sale of firearms or explosives to those whose background check reveals them to be known or suspected terrorists. That way, law enforcement can target individuals who pose the greatest threat to our communities. Federal laws won’t let felons or domestic abusers purchase firearms, and they shouldn’t let suspected terrorists, either. Sadly, when the U.S. Senate had the opportunity to do just that in December, the commonsense step was [blocked](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/03/senate-democrats-to-force-gun-control-votes-in-the-wake-of-the-san-bernardino-shooting/). To date, New Jersey is the [only state](http://smartgunlaws.org/) in the nation with gun laws that address these loopholes. And while other states are trying to act as well (the Hawaii House of Representatives just [passed](http://www.ammoland.com/2016/03/hawaii-anti-gun-bills-pass-house-floor-vote/#axzz46xB6UuOH) a similar measure), Congress should close the terror gap once and for all. Americans should ask the people who want to represent them in Washington a simple question: If elected, would you vote to close these loopholes, or would you stand with the special interests and vote to maintain them? From Tucson to Aurora to Newtown to Charleston, we know the terror and carnage that a lone mass shooter can inflict. From Mumbai to Nairobi to Paris, we’ve seen the destruction that can be carried out by small cells of trained terrorists assaulting undefended targets. Unless Congress closes the terror gap, active shooter terrorism is increasingly likely to be our nation’s next great tragedy. ## Transcript They use other people too. I mean, what am I gonna do. I have to say what I have to say. And you know what I have to say? There's a problem. We have to find out what is the problem and we have to solve that problem. I don't like anything having to do with changing our Second Amendment. We have plenty of rules and regulations There's plenty of things that they can do right now that are already there. They don't do them. We have a tremendous mental health problem. We're closing places all over the world, all over the country, they're closing. Nobody's doing anything about that. All they wanna do is blame the guns and it's not the gun that pulls the trigger. So, I don't like it. I don't like what he's doing. I think that He's looking to do executive orders, to do something having to do with guns. I would be rescinding a lot of executive orders that he's done. There's one good thing about executive order, the new president, if he comes in boom, first day, first hour, first minute you can rescind them. She is constantly playing the woman card. It's the only way she may get elected, I mean frankly. I don't think, personally I'm not sure that anybody else other than me, is going to beat her. And I think she's a flawed candidate. And you see what's happened recently, and it hasn't been a very pretty picture for her or for Bill, because I'm the only one that's willing to talk about his problems. I mean, what he did, and what he has gone through, I think is frankly terrible, especially if she wants to play the woman card. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/"},"headline":"Mark Kelly: America's Gun Laws Make Us Vulnerable to Terrorists","datePublished":"2016-04-28T15:10:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:55:43.808Z","description":"We should close the gaps in our gun laws that allow dangerous people to buy firearms","url":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/","keywords":["Gun Control","politics","Terrorism","Security"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cfd3697bc948617/698890b2524fc0331fdf7bb0/mark-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Kelly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/mark-kelly/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8cfd3697bc948617/698890b2524fc0331fdf7bb0/mark-kelly.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Captain Mark Kelly speaks at the 'Not One More' Event in New York City on Feb. 10, 2015.","caption":"Captain Mark Kelly speaks at the 'Not One More' Event in New York City on Feb. 10, 2015.","creditText":"Monica Schipper—2015 Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/gun-control/","name":"Gun Control"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/","name":"Mark Kelly: America's Gun Laws Make Us Vulnerable to Terrorists"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Democratic Debate: Bernie Sanders on Gun Control","description":"Sanders on Gun Control","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/FCxdbcut/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-18T02:27:02.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FCxdbcut.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/","duration":"PT2M11S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Raw: Trump On Terror Recruitment Video, Gun Control, and Hillary Clinton","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/yODsIiY1/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-01-03T18:58:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yODsIiY1.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/","duration":"PT1M18S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4308044/mark-kelly-close-the-gun-law-terror-gap/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```