Long gun private seller exemption in action:

>It was revealed late Thursday that the gunman purchased the rifle from a private seller, according to a news release from St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

>The suspect attempted to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer in St. Charles, Missouri, on October 8, but an FBI background check "successfully blocked this sale," according to police.

>"As a result, the suspect sought out and bought the rifle used in the school shooting from a private seller, who legally purchased the weapon from a federally licensed dealer in December 2020," the release read. "There is no existing law which would have prevented the private sale between the original purchaser and the suspect in this case."