A new report on Monday stated that the United States Air Force did not submit Devin Patrick Kelley’s criminal history to the FBI as required by the Pentagon, which would have prevented him from purchasing firearms.
Kelley, 26, opened fire on a congregation of churchgoers on Sunday, killing at least 26 people in the deadliest mass shooting at a place of worship in American history.
Kelley, who used an "assault-style rifle" and owned two handguns, should not have been able to legally purchase the weapons due to his history of violent criminal behavior — but the government made a mistake, NPR reported. "Under federal law, his conviction disqualified him from legally possessing a firearm."