AURORA, Ill. • An initial background check failed to detect a felony conviction that should have barred the man who killed five co-workers and wounded six others at a suburban Chicago manufacturing plant from buying the gun.

Months later, a second background check of Gary Martin found his 1995 aggravated assault conviction in Mississippi involving the stabbing of an ex-girlfriend. But it prompted only a letter stating his gun permit had been revoked and ordering him to turn over his firearm to police — raising questions about the state’s enforcement to ensure those who lose their permits also turn over their weapons.

A vigil for the victims, including a university student on his first day as an intern and a longtime plant manager, was scheduled for Sunday in Aurora, about 40 miles west of Chicago.

Martin, 45, was killed in a shootout with officers Friday, ending his deadly rampage at the Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora. His state gun license permit was revoked in 2014, Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman said.

But he never gave up the .40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun he used in the attack. Investigators are still trying to determine what exactly law enforcement agencies did after that letter was sent, Ziman said.

After an initial background check failed to detect his felony conviction, Martin was issued his Firearm Owner’s Identification card and bought the handgun on March 11, 2014. Five days after that, he applied for a concealed carry permit.

A woman places flowers at a memorial Sunday in Aurora, Ill., near Henry Pratt Co. manufacturing where several were killed Friday. Authorities say an initial background check five years ago failed to flag an out-of-state felony conviction that would have prevented a man from buying the gun he used in the shooting.

the associated press