LANSING, Mich. – State Representative Robert Wittenberg introduced a bill Thursday that would close a loophole that allows individuals to rent a firearm even if they cannot legally own one.

House Bill 5933 would require a background check, conducted through the FBI’s National Instant Background Check System before a firearm could be rented. This process requires a driver’s license or other form of identification and takes only a few minutes to complete.

"The rules for renting a firearm should mirror the rules for buying one. You need a criminal background check to buy them from a federally licensed dealer in Michigan, so you should need that to rent one, too," Wittenberg said. "That’s not the case right now, and it creates a dangerous loophole that has already led to tragic consequences. We need to pass this legislation immediately to prevent criminals from taking advantage of this loophole again."

A woman was murdered in Lansing recently when her ex-boyfriend, who was unable to purchase a gun legally, rented a semi-automatic handgun at a local shooting range. Instead of returning it, however, he took it to his former girlfriend’s workplace and murdered her before turning the gun on himself.