Black Friday posts new all-time record for number of background checks in single day, FBI says

Black Friday 2017 saw a record number of background check requests for firearm purchases, the FBI revealed Saturday.

What did they say?

According to FBI statistics, there were 203,086 requests for background checks on firearm purchases on Friday, setting a record for single day requests.

The previous records came on Black Friday last year and on the same day in 2015. In 2016, there were 185,713 requests, while there were 185,345 requests in 2015, according to USA Today.

Are background checks always required?

Federally licensed firearms dealers are required to run a background check through the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System on anyone who attempts to purchase a firearm from their store. However, Friday's figure doesn't represent the number of firearms sold, as it only takes one request per buyer, not per firearm. The total number of firearms sold on Friday is likely much higher.

The NICS background check system came under scrutiny recently after an Air Force veteran, who should have been barred from purchasing firearms, successfully purchased guns that he later used to massacre more than two dozen people in a Texas church. Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a full review of the NICS system to prevent further breakdowns.