Final answer:
After the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, a waiting period was placed on the purchase of firearms to ensure background checks could be completed.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the early 1980s, after the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, laws requiring a waiting period for the purchase of firearms were passed. This was done as a response to the incident and to ensure that people purchasing firearms underwent background checks. The waiting period allowed for the completion of the necessary checks before a firearm could be obtained.
The act you are referring to is the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act. This legislation, enacted in 1993, imposed a five-day waiting period and required background checks for individuals purchasing handguns.
The act was named after James Brady, who was severely injured in the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
The waiting period was intended to provide law enforcement with time to conduct background checks on potential gun buyers, with the goal of preventing individuals with criminal records or mental health issues from acquiring firearms.
The waiting period provision was later replaced by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in 1998, which allows for quicker electronic background checks.