WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A record 2.9 million background checks for firearm purchases were made in December in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary shootings, the FBI said.
That number is up from 2 million in November and is a 49 percent increase over December 2011, which saw 1.9 million background checks, the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System said in a report cited by Politico Wednesday.