bill: so the president proposing universal background checks for all firearms arms sales. what about criminals to get their weapons illegally? william la jeunesse is on that story live in l.a. with more now. william, good morning. reporter: yeah, bill. they say laws for are the law-abiding. background checks are supposed to stop what the government calls prohibitive possessers, illegal immigrants, adjudicated mentally ill and felons who face few penalties for it. maricopa county jail in phoenix, arizona. is it hard for a person with criminal record to get a gun? no. reporter: while washington debates back ground checks for law-abiding gun owners. where do criminals get their weapons. people usually go through other people to buy it. i say 95% off the street, crime guns. reporter: survey of 18,000 prison inmates found 40% get their guns off the street, 40% from friends and family. 4% from pawn shops.