CBS News' Paula Reid purchased an AR-15 for a news segment that aired Thursday on CBS This Morning — and is now being accused of breaking federal law. According to the gun store's general manager, Reid said the rifle was for her own use, but when CBS reported on the story, it revealed she had later given the gun to a third party (a "federally licensed firearms dealer and weapons instructor"), The Washington Free Beacon reports. In other words, Reid allegedly committed a "straw purchase," which is illegal according to federal law.

Reid was operating undercover in Alexandria, Virginia, to demonstrate how easy it is to purchase an AR-15. The gun store, SpecDive, contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives afterward to express concern over a possible straw purchase; the ATF confirmed it knew about the purchase, but did not say if it was conducting an investigation.

"The law is very clear. When you knowingly attempt to purchase a firearm with the intent of giving it to another person, you are trying to bypass the legal pathway to firearms ownership. This, in itself, is a very serious crime. I do not see how any member of the press can get away with potentially committing a felony just to boost their ratings and mislead the general public," SpecDive owner Jerry Rapp told The Washington Free Beacon. A CBS spokesperson has maintained that the purchase was legal. Jeva Lange