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

[lostinblue 1,989]

State Law Prevented Sale of Assault Rifle to Suspect Last Week, Officials Say By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT Published: September 17, 2013

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 — 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.

“When he discharged, the pieces of lead would spread the farther they went,” the one official said. “It is similar to weapons used in bird shooting but on a more serious scale. These were not bullets but many small pieces of lead flying through the air.”

After firing down on people, the gunman began to search for more people to shoot, and as he searched, he was confronted by a security guard near an exit, according to the officials. The gunman shot the guard and took his semiautomatic handgun, then headed back to the atrium.

“He runs back upstairs and cranks off more rounds with the handgun and then heads to another stairwell, where he confronts a worker there and shoots him,” the official said.

The gunman is believed to have shot the Navy employee, who worked in maintenance, with the pistol near another exit.

On Saturday, Mr. Alexis bought the Remington shotgun and ammunition at the gun store and range in Lorton, Va., Sharpshooters Small Arms Range, where he also rented a rifle and practiced with it, according to a lawyer for the store.

The lawyer, J. Michael Slocum, said in an e-mail that Mr. Alexis bought a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun and about two boxes of ammunition, or about 24 shells. The purchases were approved after the store owner conducted the required federal background check, Mr. Slocum said.

“After the terrible and tragic events at the Navy Yard, the Sharpshooters was visited by federal law enforcement authorities, who reviewed the Range’s records, including video and other materials,” Mr. Slocum wrote. “So far as is known, Mr. Alexis visited the Range only once, and he has had no other contact with the Range.”

The Virginia State Police said Tuesday that Mr. Alexis had passed all state and local background checks to buy the shotgun.

Despite statements on Monday from senior law enforcement officials — which were widely reported in the news media, including in The New York Times — that an AR-15 had been found at the scene, no such gun has been found. The authorities say they do not believe the gunman used one.

Federal officials said that there was some initial confusion at the scene about which firearms had been used and that it was hours before investigators were able to analyze video from the scene.

It is unclear whether Mr. Alexis’s psychiatric issues ever progressed to the point that he was involuntarily committed to a mental health institution, or legally determined to be mentally ill or incompetent, either of which would have barred him from buying a gun.

If neither applied — and most people who are treated for mental illness never get to that point — then his situation would be similar to other gunmen, like Jared L. Loughner, who killed 6 people and wounded 13, including former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, in Tucson in 2011, and James E. Holmes, who killed 12 people and wounded dozens in a Colorado movie theater last year.

Mental health experts point out that the vast majority of people with mental illness are never violent. On the other hand, studies have found an increased risk for violence among those with serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.

Michael Luo contributed reporting from New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/us/state-law-stopped-gunman-from-buying-rifle-officials-say.html?_r=0

[slim 1,533]

Kudos to the media for branding a new term. "A law-enforcement-style shotgun — an 870 Remington pump —"

Can't wait to see them try to ban these things!

[Ban Hammer 13,590]

adding that he used shotgun shells that had roughly a dozen large ball-bearing-like shots in them, increasing their lethal nature.

that's what is called buckshot. media should be required to know something about firearms before they yap about it.

[Harsh_77 718]

that's what is called buckshot. media should be required to know something about firearms before they yap about it.

Its ok for CNN but if something like this was put out my Fox libs would had been all over.

[slim 1,533]

Check out the MKA 1919. It's an "AR15 shotgun."

[himher 634]

The VJ libs have already jumped on the story declaring that the weapon was "an assault rifle" and declaring that there was a white guy involved (there HAD to be a white guy because there have only been two black thrill shooters in the last 25 years) and all of their other nonsense.

They have all but forgotten that Biden instructed his liberal demographic following (the rest of us tune out Biden's advice) to use a shotgun and he used exactly what he was told to use.

But the good news is - his privacy rights as a nutjob were protected and that's way more important than protecting the rest of us from him.

I still haven't seen that call for a public list of loose felons and nutjobs so that we will all know who they are and where they are

[decocker 7,198]

The VJ libs have already jumped on the story declaring that the weapon was "an assault rifle" and declaring that there was a white guy involved (there HAD to be a white guy because there have only been two black thrill shooters in the last 25 years) and all of their other nonsense.

hey. long time no see. how's it hangin?

[Teddy B 17,252]

Does it really matter what kind of gun was used? Is that what you gun aficionados are going to focus on? I wonder what the families of the 12 dead victims think about what type of gun was used?

[himher 634]

hey. long time no see. how's it hangin?

You missed me didya?

[GandD 5,966]

The VJ libs have already jumped on the story declaring that the weapon was "an assault rifle" and declaring that there was a white guy involved (there HAD to be a white guy because there have only been two black thrill shooters in the last 25 years) and all of their other nonsense.

I only remember a lot of bald guy jokes.

[decocker 7,198]

You missed me didya?

[himher 634]

Does it really matter what kind of gun was used? Is that what you gun aficionados are going to focus on? I wonder what the families of the 12 dead victims think about what type of gun was used?

I wonder how someone who has already used a gun to commit a crime passes a background check to buy one.

In 2004, Alexis was arrested in Seattle after he fired three shots from a Glock pistol into the tires of a Honda Accord that two construction workers had parked in a driveway adjacent to Alexis’s house

He was arrested but not charged, Seattle police said. The paperwork apparently was lost.

[Teddy B 17,252]

State Law Prevented Sale of Assault Rifle to Suspect Last Week, Officials Say By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT Published: September 17, 2013

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

Why was he allowed to purchase any gun at all. If that isn't a statement of how screwed up the gun laws are in this country, I don't know what is.

"Oh sorry sir, you can't purchase this gun because your from out of state, but have a gander at this baby here".

That's effed up.

[Sousuke 1,214]

Does it really matter what kind of gun was used? Is that what you gun aficionados are going to focus on? I wonder what the families of the 12 dead victims think about what type of gun was used?

Well when the vice president advocates for said gun then yes there is an angle.

[decocker 7,198]

Well when the vice president advocates for said gun then yes there is an angle.

are you suggesting that biden has powers of mind control?