WASHINGTON—The FBI processed a record number of firearms background checks on Black Friday, the agency said Tuesday.
The agency processed a record 185,345 background checks—roughly two per second—the same day that three people were killed and nine others wounded in an attack at a Planned Parenthood office in Colorado.
The agency received about 5 percent fewer background check requests on Black Friday in 2014, the FBI said.
FBI background checks processed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System are conducted for gun purchases from federally licensed deals and for permits to carry guns. A background check does not mean a gun was purchased but manufacturers rely on the background check statistics as a measurement of the industry’s health.
