Background checks blocked thousands of gun sales to youth, domestic abusers, White House says

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland stands next to U.S. President Joe Biden during the delivery of remarks after a roundtable discussion with advisors on steps to curtail U.S. gun violence, at the White House in Washington, U.S. June 23, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Enhanced background checks have blocked thousands of gun sales to people under the age of 21 and those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes in the past year, the White House said on Sunday, a year after President Joe Biden set up a new office to accelerate work on preventing gun violence.

Homicides have dropped 17% in the period, building on the largest-ever drop in homicides in 2023, the White House said. It said data from the Gun Violence Archive showed that mass shootings were also down 20% to date in 2024 compared to a year earlier and would reach their lowest level this year since 2019.