Schumer to propose legislation regulating sale of body armor

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced on Sunday that when Congress reconvenes in September, he plans on proposing a measure requiring the FBI approve sales of body armor to civilians.
"With the click of a mouse, scroll of a thumb, dialing of a phone, someone up to no good can get this," Schumer said. "What we have learned is that a good number of those intent on mass shootings buy body armor. They want to kill as many people as possible." Last weekend, a man wearing body armor gunned down nine people in Dayton, Ohio, before being shot and killed by police.
With the exception of convicted criminals, civilians can legally buy bulletproof vests in all 50 states, and only in Connecticut are they required to make the purchase in person. Schumer's proposed bill would not apply to law enforcement officials.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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