FAIRFAX, Va. (WRIC) — President Obama will be in Virginia today for a town hall on guns in America.
The president will join CNN’s Anderson Cooper for the one-hour live town hall meeting on gun control at George Mason University in Fairfax. Obama and Cooper will sit down at 8 p.m. for the event, which is titled “Guns in America.” 8News will be streaming the event so you can watch live on WRIC.com.
President Obama will discuss guns in the U.S. with Cooper and take questions from the audience on the issue.
The town hall comes after Obama announced a 10-point plan on Monday to try to keep guns from people who shouldn’t have them. The centerpiece is new federal guidance that seeks to clarify who is “in the business” of selling firearms and has to get a federal license.
Licensed dealers must run background checks on prospective buyers, but private sellers don’t. Obama is aiming to narrow that loophole so that more firearms sold at gun shows, flea markets or online are subject to background checks.
Other steps include 230 new examiners the FBI will hire to process background checks. And Obama is directing federal agencies to research smart gun technology to reduce accidental shootings and asking Congress for $500 million for mental health care. Further steps aim to better track lost guns and prevent trusts or corporations from buying dangerous weapons without background checks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
