HARTFORD - Today, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued the following statement on new revelations that the gun used in last month’s tragic shooting in Charleston was illegally sold to Dylann Roof as a result of a background check system flaw:

“We are appalled to learn that a failure of our background check system resulted in the apparent shooter being able to purchase a weapon he would later use to kill nine innocent individuals. We urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to review this failure in our background check system and potential remedies. In the long run, this system must be made as effective and error-proof as possible, and extended to sales presently not covered by the law, as we have advocated for consistently. For too long, the Senate has failed to address the loopholes in our national gun policy, and the result has been tragedies such as the one that occurred in Charleston. We must act to fundamentally strengthen our gun laws and protect our communities. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the issue of gun violence in America.”