Using the Washington-area sniper attacks as a backdrop, Sen. Charles Schumer yesterday said a national ballistic “fingerprint” system is urgently needed and urged the NRA to cease with its opposition.
Schumer said his proposed legislation, called the Ballistic, Law Assistance and Safety Technology Act (BLAST), would have gun manufacturers test-fire weapons and place their bullet “fingerprints” into a database that police could then use to track down guns used in crimes.
“The bill is a no-brainer,” Schumer said yesterday at his Midtown office. “We let our police use human fingerprints, why don’t we let our police use the fingerprint that guns and bullets make?”
Schumer said BLAST would make available $20 million to the attorney general for hiring and training.
Schumer said he attempted to launch the same legislation last year, but the National Rifle Association lobby would have none of it.
“What happened in Virginia and Maryland is obviously frightening, but we know it can happen elsewhere,” Schumer said. “There is no reason for opposition.”