Gun waiting periods rare in US states but more may be coming

Lawmakers and advocates say if the suspect in the deadly Atlanta-area shootings had been forced to wait before getting a gun, he might not have acted on his impulse.

Police say the suspect legally bought a 9 mm handgun not long before the attack, which spread fear and anger through Asian American communities nationwide.

Within hours, authorities say, he had killed eight people, seven of them women and six of Asian descent, in a rampage targeting massage businesses.

Georgia and some other states are looking to create or expand waiting periods. But gun rights groups are opposed, and the legislation may face an uphill battle.

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