Statement about illegal possession of guns accurate

“The vast majority of crime that is gun related is committed by people who illegally are possessing that firearm.” — Rep. John Faso, R-N.Y., on Feb. 27 in an interview on C-SPAN

The last time the government tracked this kind of data was in 2004 when the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics surveyed inmates in federal and state prisons about where they had gotten the guns used in their crimes. That was the only analysis of federal data we could find, and experts were not aware of another.

In the 13 states with the fewest restrictions on gun ownership, 40 percent of inmates illegally obtained the gun. Only about 13 percent purchased it from a store or pawn shop. In the other 37 states, including New York, 60 percent of inmates illegally procured the gun they used.

Regional studies have found that a higher share of criminals did not legally possess a gun when they committed their crimes.

Our ruling

People can differ on what constitutes a “vast majority.” What’s more, illegal gun crime is not well researched in the U.S. The latest data is more than a decade old. One analysis of the data showed Faso’s claim is not true in some states while true in others. But experts say most gun crime is likely committed by those who illegally possess guns.

His statement is accurate but needed additional information. We rate it Mostly True.

CONTRIBUTED BY C-SPAN Rep. John Faso, R-N.Y., claimed that most gun crime is committed by illegal gun owners. Experts do say most gun crime is likely committed by people who possess guns illegally.