"State Law Prevented Sale of Assault Rifle to Suspect Last Week, Officials Say"

[applegrove]

State Law Prevented Sale of Assault Rifle to Suspect Last Week, Officials Say

by MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT at the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/us/state-law-stopped-gunman-from-buying-rifle-officials-say.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1&

"SNIP......................................



WASHINGTON — The gunman who killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday test-fired an AR-15 assault rifle at a Virginia gun store last week but was stopped from buying one because state law there prohibits the sale of such weapons to out-of-state buyers, according to two senior law enforcement officials.

Instead, the gunman, Aaron Alexis of Texas, bought a law-enforcement-style shotgun — an 870 Remington pump-action — and used it on Monday as he rampaged through the navy yard, said the officials, who requested anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

“The gun was broken in half, and he had it in a bag,” one official said of the Remington. “He went inside the building and assembled it in a bathroom.”

The gunman then perched himself above an atrium where he fired down on people who had been eating breakfast, officials said, adding that he used shotgun shells that had roughly a dozen large ball-bearing-like shots in them, increasing their lethal nature.


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[applegrove]

1. So gun control saved many lives yesterday.

[Oakenshield]

2. Yup.

Last edited Wed Sep 18, 2013, 12:20 AM - Edit history (1)

He could have been right up there with that Breivik whackjob if he had access to an AR-15. It was still a disaster, but it could have been much worse.

[exboyfil]

3. Could you imagine what he could have

done with a Saiga shotgun with a 30 round drum? Someone is going to open up with one of those things in a crowd.

[Oakenshield]

6. Are those even legal?

Thought those were strictly military, but maybe I'm forgetting. In any event, yes that would be horrific. Basically it'd be like carrying around a couple hand grenades.

[exboyfil]

7. Yes in some places in the US

you can see Youtube videos of Weekend Warriors playing with them.

[Hoyt]

4. Too bad he could still get a shotgun like that. Laws need tightening.

[doc03]

5. I have two Remington 870 shotguns, they are just ordinary

hunting guns. The one pictured is nothing more than an ordinary hunting gun that holds
a couple extra rounds.

[Hoyt]

9. When you bought them, were you just declined for an AR15 a few minutes before.

I suspect you were not, but that is a problem here.

[doc03]

10. No and I have no desire to own an AR-15 and don't think a civilian should own one

with a high capacity magazine either.

[bobclark86]

8. Now, if we could tighten background checks, we'd be much better off. n/t