Would the VT tragedy have happened if we had stricter gun control laws? ? ?

Question

Terrorists have purchased firearms at gun shows, where unlicensed sellers are not currently required to conduct background checks or to ask for identification.(USA Today, Wednesday, November 28, 2001 Americans for Gun Safety)
Studies show that 1 percent of gun stores sell the weapons traced to 57 percent of gun crimes.
Every day, more than 80 Americans die from gun violence. (Coalition to Stop Gun Violence)
American kids are 16 times more likely to be murdered with a gun, 11 times more likely to commit suicide with a gun, and nine times more likely to die from a firearm accident than children in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control)
The rate of firearm deaths among kids under age 15 is almost 12 times higher in the United States than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
http://www.neahin.org/programs/schoolsafety/gunsafety/statistics.htm#america

Answer 1

I am truly amazed at you yanks and your guns what a bunch of hicks.

Of course it wouldn't. Normal civilians have no business owning handguns and to get one on the black market (in countries other than the US) you have to be a serious criminal with the right contacts some determined college kid can not go out and find one.

Handguns are for killing people, nothing else. If you don't want to get killed get rid of the guns.

Answer 2

Probably. If this psycho was determined to kill, he would have found another way to buy a gun.

How do you think that criminals get guns? They buy them on the "black market"!

If Cho had been denied in his quest to purchase a gun legally, he could have always driven up to DC and bought an illegal gun from someone there!

Anyway, there should be a prohibition on non-citizens of the United States (such as Cho) from being able to legally purchase firearms!

Answer 3

Longer more in depth waiting periods with better Intel about mental health or previous charges would've helped. If he had had to wait 6 weeks for a handgun, as he showed no immediate need for one:ie: not a single mother with home to protect in a bad part of town; not a man in a dangerous profession or working in a dodgey area? He was a student? Didn't anyone look into him at all before they sold him a handgun?
I believe there should be much stricter waiting periods, and not everyone should be issued a permit.

Answer 4

In my opinion, yes it could've still happened. Just because laws are strict does not mean that a person with the will and intent to secure such armament wouldn't be able to. Illegal firearms is no different then the dope out in the streets. Someone's got it and for the right price, so can you. The point is that when people with such disturbed minds are identified as it was in Cho's case over a year and a half ago, they need to be further evaluated, not only to protect society, but to protect them as well. It's sad, but it's the world we live in.

Answer 5

Probably. If he didn't have access to guns he could have used pipe bombs, and you can still get a gun through illegal means even if there are gun control laws. I do, however, wonder he got his hands on a gun with his history of mental illness - doesn't Virginia have a law that prevents people with a history of mental illness from buying a gun? We do where I live.

Answer 6

Yes i do think he would have found away around the law. Someone in that mind set would have figured out a away to get the guns he needed.
But having said that i am for stricter gun control.

Answer 7

Every country that has legislated strong gun control laws has had an increase of violent crime, including an increase in crimes in which guns were used by criminals who ignored the gun control laws and purchased firearms on the black market.

Answer 8

Good question.... and a hard one to guess. I would wager though that if this kid were desperate enough he would have found a gun anyway from the black market....
Most of the time, gun control only effects law abiding citizens.
The real question is that would he have pursued illegal firearms?

Answer 9

In the extreme, eg, if all guns were illegal since 1900 in America, and, no metodology to get a handgun now, then, yes, the tragedy would never had occured.

Answer 10

Yes, the biggest school massacre took place 80 years ago. It was done with dynamite. This was just the biggest school shooting. He doesn't need guns to kill a shitload of people, and he probably could've gotten guns anyways.