Shooting Rampage at Northern Illinois U.

This really sucks, I hate hearing about stories like this but unfortunately it's becoming commonplace because nothing can really stop it from happening except the gunman himself. This brings back horrible memories of VT.

man that sucks. I'm not really scared in classes but it can happen any day, anywhere. Just enjoy what ever time we got in life. Can't be scared to go to class.

I know a lot of people hate to have this discussion but a VT can only happen in a country with easy access to handguns. There are more sick weirdos in Japan per capita than probably any other country in the world (they have ladies only cars on the train to prevent groping), but even Samurai swords are prohibited (seriously, past a certain point of sharpness) so you never hear about these kind of tragedies.
Well to compare us and these types of things to Japan you have to look at more than guns. You have to look at culture, devorce rates (single parent homes, etc... Its narrow minded just to say guns. In Japan to discrace your family is one of the major things you really get looked down for and you become a discrase to society in general. Here in America it seems to be a part of growing up and no I'm not talking about going on a killin spree. I'm talking in general.

Well to compare us and these types of things to Japan you have to look at more than guns. You have to look at culture, devorce rates (single parent homes, etc... Its narrow minded just to say guns. In Japan to discrace your family is one of the major things you really get looked down for and you become a discrase to society in general. Here in America it seems to be a part of growing up and no I'm not talking about going on a killin spree. I'm talking in general.

If your point is that there aren't mass murders in Japan because people don't want to embarrass their parents, well, let me just say I don't think that's the reason.

I was using Japan as an example because I live here, but you don't see school shootings anywhere else but America. My point is that there are psychopaths everywhere, they are just loaded up with guns in the states.

That's just the reaction I have every time I hear about one of these. I get sick of having to try and defend my country two or more times every year to people who just can't understand why we continue to allow this to happen.

Yea we really have stupid stupid gun laws. Sorry 2nd Amendment lovers, but its just too easy to get a gun in VA. A good percentage of guns found in NYC crimes are originally from VA, because it is a joke to get one here.

I hate Michael Moore, but some of the points in "Bowling for Coulbine(sp)" were valid in comparison to Canada. I agree djnemo, it is really annoying to me at times unfortunately it will take tragedies like these to create any kind of substantial gun law reform.

The 2nd amendment was for people to have rifles to fight the British, not for every whack off to own a gun for pleasure. I was 17 and drunk -- we walked into walmart and bought a rifle. We used it to shoot targets, but still -- far too easy.

If you guys want to debate the right to bear arms, go right ahead. However, it is really frustrating to read off-the-cuff comments about our "stupid laws" or how easy it is to obtain firearms legally, when people clearly have no idea what those laws are and are mostly ignorant on what qualifies someone as a prohibited person.

I'm really interested to know what the mental health history of the shooter is. I already have an idea of what his history will show and why he was allowed to purchase firearms legally. Unfortunately, it will take an increase in these type of shootings before the Feds will revise a very gray area within the mental health prohibitor portion of the firearm statute.

If you guys want to debate the right to bear arms, go right ahead. However, it is really frustrating to read off-the-cuff comments about our "stupid laws" or how easy it is to obtain firearms legally, when people clearly have no idea what those laws are and are mostly ignorant on what qualifies someone as a prohibited person.

I'm really interested to know what the mental health history of the shooter is. I already have an idea of what his history will show and why he was allowed to purchase firearms legally. Unfortunately, it will take an increase in these type of shootings before the Feds will revise a very gray area within the mental health prohibitor portion of the firearm statute.

Well I was just reading that he was off or not taking his medication but they did not say what he was taking. I also read he had purchased the guns within 5 days of the shootings and used a hand gun and shot gun.I do know that here in VA. if people have mental issues the are not allowed to buy guns and it suppose to show up with their instant back ground check. That was one of the issues with the VT shooting and if the proper procedures were followed that guys name should have come up as rejected for the purchase of the gun. If I remember correctly it was the doctors or medical place which failed to report his mental condition. I just don't get this stuff because its not like in the past 15 years kids all of a sudden started have mental issues. Heck, we had people carrying guns in their cars on school property when I went to high school back in the early 80s. We never gave it any second thought.

Well I was just reading that he was off or not taking his medication but they did not say what he was taking. I also read he had purchased the guns within 5 days of the shootings and used a hand gun and shot gun. I do know that here in VA. if people have mental issues the are not allowed to buy guns and it suppose to show up with their instant back ground check. That was one of the issues with the VT shooting and if the proper procedures were followed that guys name should have come up as rejected for the purchase of the gun. If I remember correctly it was the doctors or medical place which failed to report his mental condition. I just don't get this stuff because its not like in the past 15 years kids all of a sudden started have mental issues. Heck, we had people carrying guns in their cars on school property when I went to high school back in the early 80s. We never gave it any second thought.
The reporting of mental health commitments to NICS is not mandatory and most states do not do an automatic check for commitments when running backgrounds. Truth be told, most states rely on the applicant to voluntarily disclose their mental health history when he/she submits a firearms purchase application. Unfortunately, right now, we rely on the honor system to find out if someone has prior mental health issues. On top of that, some states refuse to disclose mental health information all together.

I don't know what VA's gun law is with regards to mental health commitments. I do know that the VT shooter was not prohibited to purchase firearms under federal law. You cannot be denied firearms under federal law if you are committed to an institution or hospital and only held for observation. I can't remember who actually had him initially committed, but the hospital chose not to formally commit him and only held him for observation. He did not qualify as a prohibited person because the hospital ultimately did not find him to be a mental defective or incompetent while he received treatment.

VA is one of the leading states that cooperates with NICS in reporting mental health commitments. According to the NICS rep I spoke with about the VT shooter, VA did everything to the letter with regards to his background check. The shooter simply slid through a very small crack in the statute. Until the Feds fix that crack and make all mental health commitments a prohibitive category, regardless of the diagnosis or treatment a person receives, crazy people will continue to be approved for firearms purchases.

The reporting of mental health commitments to NICS is not mandatory and most states do not do an automatic check for commitments when running backgrounds. Truth be told, most states rely on the applicant to voluntarily disclose their mental health history when he/she submits a firearms purchase application. Unfortunately, right now, we rely on the honor system to find out if someone has prior mental health issues. On top of that, some states refuse to disclose mental health information all together.

I don't know what VA's gun law is with regards to mental health commitments. I do know that the VT shooter was not prohibited to purchase firearms under federal law. You cannot be denied firearms under federal law if you are committed to an institution or hospital and only held for observation. I can't remember who actually had him initially committed, but the hospital chose not to formally commit him and only held him for observation. He did not qualify as a prohibited person because the hospital ultimately did not find him to be a mental defective or incompetent while he received treatment.

VA is one of the leading states that cooperates with NICS in reporting mental health commitments. According to the NICS rep I spoke with about the VT shooter, VA did everything to the letter with regards to his background check. The shooter simply slid through a very small crack in the statute. Until the Feds fix that crack and make all mental health commitments a prohibitive category, regardless of the diagnosis or treatment a person receives, crazy people will continue to be approved for firearms purchases.
Everything I read about the VT shooting and I live in the area so there was a ton of stuff to read. Is that by Va. standards what he was committed for should have made it illegal in Va. for him to buy a fire arm and should have been report as such. He did not fall through some crack in the system it was a failure on someones part to report this to the proper people.