FBI background check system for gun buyers crashes

An FBI computer system that screens gun buyers' backgrounds for criminal activity crashed several times over the past two days, potentially allowing buyers to purchase firearms without being screened, officials said Monday.

Photo: FBI background check system for gun buyers crashes

At times, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System was on the blink for up to a half-hour on Sunday and Monday.

The computer crash was blamed on a technical glitch that was being worked on Monday evening, said FBI spokesman Paul Bresson. "It's a performance issue that we've never encountered before," he said.

It was unclear when the glitch would be fixed, reports AP.

The system, located in West Virginia, generally receives between 30,000 and 50,000 requests for background checks on a daily basis, peaking on the weekends, Bresson said. It usually processes the requests within 30 minutes.