Fifth person shot at UVa identified; malicious wounding charges added

Law enforcement officials have not explicitly linked the guns used in Sunday’s shooting on a bus to the guns purchased at Sporting Goods Dance by the students who were killed.

The ATF has records indicating that the business has been on the agency’s radar for years, suggesting that it has been involved in a crime of purchasing and directly selling more than 10 guns, which were then classified as “2 Letter Demand” and sold in the store. The documents show enough evidence to qualify for a warning conference with ATF staff.

More recently, the shop was cited in a federal indictment of gun traffickers who had repeatedly visited the store in late 2019.

According to the court documents, Maria Fuentes, a female individual, bought six handguns from the shop on six separate occasions within a span of three weeks, sometimes even on consecutive days. The records state that these firearms were later handed over to Jesus Fuentes, an individual with a criminal record, with the purpose of being sold for monetary gain.

Salespeople refuse to sell guns even if potential buyers appear suspicious. This is because it is known that some individuals, acting as intermediaries, can easily obtain firearms on behalf of others with clean criminal records, thus bypassing the background checks.

The loophole is not exclusive to Dance’s. Straw buying is the most prevalent avenue for the trafficking of illicit firearms.

In 2019, a case showed that Dance’s, a store with a 20,000 square-foot area, was frequently visited by over 50 employees. Additionally, it was revealed that gun dealers successfully purchased firearms at Dance’s, as well as at nine other stores across the state including Pro Bass and Cabela’s, making it one of the targeted gun shops in Virginia.

The ATF inspection reports have made the records of Brady, a gun control advocacy organization that has sued the ATF for the records multiple times, accessible since 2017. The records of Brady are up to date until 2018.

In January 2018, Dance’s Sporting Goods was flagged for twice selling receivers to an out-of-state resident, which is illegal under federal law.

The store Dance’s had also failed to fully log buyers’ personal information and some gun sales were reported late. The store had sold to out-of-state residents both in August 2011 and in March 2014, as reported by Dance’s shows. Investigators issued a warning letter, noting that the store had violated the same law for the third time.

The ATF found that the store ultimately met the criteria for a “Warning Conference” instead of a downgraded “Warning Letter” in response to the Dance.

The investigating officer thoroughly discussed the reported violation, stating that the FFL was not aware of the regulation. However, they now understand and expect future compliance.

“Dance informed ATF inspectors that we will cease selling to residents from other states and provide training to our employees.”

In reply to inquiries from the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Mike Solomon, the manager of Dance’s Sporting Goods, released the subsequent declaration.

Mr. Jones’s paperwork for transfer and transactions were recorded and conducted properly, with each transfer of firearms being considered on its own merits and handled on an individual basis. We have made significant efforts to improve our paperwork by conducting processes and training that will enable us to obtain error-free inspection in the next five years.

Josh Scharff, legal advisor for Brady, stated that a small percentage of gun dealers nationwide, as indicated by data published by the ATF, exceed the necessary ATF law violations to warrant a conference.

In 2020, the Bureau’s Washington Division, which covers Virginia, escalated just 12 inspections into conferences out of a total of 184 inspections.

Scharff stated, “They bear the responsibility. Firearms vendors act as guardians of the weapons that exit their establishment and are sold to the general public. Selling numerous firearms within a short timeframe also raises concerns. I believe there are indications that this dealer may not be fully adhering to the law,” in reference to the ATF infractions and the illegal purchases.

The records that Brady does not have available for inspection were later inspected in the following year, as recommended by investigators. It is likely that the shop was inspected again in 2018.

Marlon Dance stated that he would proceed to the store while expressing his sadness over the tragic incidents that occurred in Charlottesville, and would aid law enforcement in their efforts to comprehend this dreadful tragedy.

Following an extensive manhunt, Jones, who attended Petersburg High School, was taken into custody in Henrico County. Officials have not released any information about a possible motive for the shootings. The governing board of UVa held an emergency meeting to receive briefings on the investigation and the shootings.

Solomon expressed that the employees who sold Jones the two weapons were unlikely to have knowledge of his prior endeavors to acquire firearms.

“Regrettably, certain wrongdoers possess exceptional skills and we fall victim to their deception,” expressed Solomon, emphasizing the store’s commitment to preventing fraudulent purchases. “The staff had complete confidence in selling the firearms to Mr. Jones; otherwise, they would have refrained from completing the sale and transferring the firearms.”