Here is where Hillary Clinton stands on gun control
Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's proposals to curb gun-related violence focus on closing loop holes in current legislation to prevent criminals from obtaining firearms, banning high-caliber assaults weapons and devoting more resources and attention to mental health access.
Here is a rundown of where Hillary Clinton stands on gun control:
Background checks
Clinton has made it clear that her administration would focus on tightening restrictions for gun purchases. Clinton asserts that 20% to 40% of all gun purchases in America are conducted with no background check because of loopholes in federal law.
The Democratic candidate is a proponent of expanded background checks, a provision that targets loopholes that allow gun buyers to bypass background checks when buying guns online or at gun shows. Further, she says that she wants to close what she calls the "Charleston loophole," which allows a gun sale to proceed without a full background check if the check isn't completed within three days.
The Charleston loophole refers to Dylann Roof, the man accused of killing nine people inside a Charleston, South Carolina, church in June 2015. Roof was allowed to legally purchase a firearm despite a drug arrest months earlier. That arrest did not appear on his background check.
"We are smart enough - compassionate enough - to figure out how to balance legitimate Second Amendment rights with preventive measures," Clinton tweeted in August.
Clinton supported the 1994 Brady Bill - legislation that mandated federal background checks on firearm purchases, a five-day waiting period on purchases, while placing restrictions on who can transport or ship firearms.
Assault weapons
Clinton proposes that the assault-weapons ban that expired in 2004 should be reinstated.
That law prohibited the manufacture, transfer, or possession of "semiautomatic assault weapons," which were defined by detachable magazines and other characteristics depending on the type of gun. Weapons with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition were also banned.
"We've got to keep weapons of war off our streets, as well as blocking suspected terrorists from buying guns," the Democratic candidate said on "CBS This Morning" in June.
Clinton has associated terrorism to the prevalence of semiautomatic weapons in the US. The shootings in San Bernardino, Newtown, and Aurora were perpetrated using similar versions of the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, according to Reuters.
NRA rating
As part of her platform, Clinton has vowed to challenge gun lobbyists, and that has earned her an F rating from the National Rifle Association.
Clinton's plan calls for repealing the "Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act," which shields gun manufacturers from being sued by victims of gun violence.
Mental health
One in four Americans experiences a mental-health issue throughout the year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Clinton is advocating for improvements in mental health nationwide. Specifically, she wants to amend legislation that allows people suffering from mental illnesses to obtain guns. The Democratic nominee said that people "involuntarily committed to outpatient treatment" should be prohibited from buying guns.
Right now, federal law prohibits someone from buying guns if they have been classified as a danger to themselves or others because of mental illness. But the government relies on states to provide that mental-health status to its national background-check system.
Some states have differing mental-health standards. The Virginia Tech shooter, who was mentally ill, was able to access to a gun because Virginia only prohibits gun sales to someone "involuntarily committed to a mental hospital." Clinton's plan would close that loophole.