In November 1998 , President Bill Clinton directed the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Attorney General ( A.G. ) to provide recommendations concerning the fact that 25 percent or more of sellers at gun shows are not required to run background checks on potential buyers . This was called the gun show loophole . Two months later , '' Gun Shows : Brady Checks and Crime Gun Traces '' was released . The Secretary and the A.G. made seven recommendations , including expanding the definition of " gun show , " and reviewing the definition of " engaged in the business . " After the Columbine High School massacre in April 1999 , gun shows and background checks became a focus of national debate . In May , the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association ( NRA ) told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime , " We think it is reasonable to provide mandatory , instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show . " Those concerned about the shows believed they were a source of illegally trafficked firearms . Efforts to reverse a key feature of the Firearm Owners Protection Act ( FOPA ) by requiring criminal background checks and purchase records on private sales at gun shows , which had become prolific in the U.S. since the law 's passage in 1986 , were unsuccessful
Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
Universal background check