I just watch a Aurora news conference in which the Chief broke down how the Pratt Co. shooting suspect obtained a firearm. First my background, I'm a 29 year veteran police officer currently assigned to firearms licensing. I'm trying to wrap my head around how this happened. In Aurora the POS had prior arrest for DV and restraining violation, property damage and disorderly conduct. I'm assuming the dv cases were dismissed or NG so they weren't held against him on a background check on the FOID card and there must not be a suitability clause in Ill for firearms licensing. He applied for an got a FOID card and then a permit to purchase. He then purchased a S&W M&P 40cal.
Here is my questions, is there no NICS check in Illinois when you have a FOID card and permit to purchase? He later applied for a concealed carry permit and was denied when his finger prints came back with a felony conviction in 1995 in Mississippi. If the fingerprints came back with the Mississippi conviction then he would have been in the NICS data base and flagged on the NICS check. I can see how someone would not be flagged on a local background check with an out of state conviction as you would have to check the IQ data base of the individual state to determine any criminal record but the Mississippi conviction was fingerprint recorded and in the FBI data base so he shouldn't have made it through a NICS check. Any Illinois LE that can shed light on this process?