Washington’s shame: how previous bids to tighten gun laws have failed

US Democrats are trying to pass legislation to improve background checks for gun buyers, but the prospects for change seem dim. We examine how previous attempts to amend gun laws in the wake of mass shootings have fared

What was proposed: Four months after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012, legislation was proposed by Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania to expand background checks for commercial gun sales, including at gun shows and on the internet.