For the second time since 2007 there has been a shooting at Virginia Tech, only this shooting was far less deadly than the one that occurred previously. This time only two people were killed, the gunman and the police officer he left slain. This shooting may not have been as deadly as the first but still showed the need for stricter gun laws.
According to Virginia Tech’s website gunshots were first reported on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 12:37 p.m. The suspect was described as being a white male wearing gray sweat pants, gray hat with a neon green brim, a maroon sweatshirt and a backpack.
The officer was shot and killed while stopping a vehicle for a routine traffic stop. After shooting the officer the gunman took off on foot.
Four hours after the shooting the Virginia Tech Police department determined that there was no longer a threat and that the campus could return to normal activities.
The thing that is worrisome about this is that it was on the same campus that endured that brutal massacre 4 years ago. How safe is a college campus really? How easy is it to acquire a gun?
The answer in my opinion is it is far too easy to acquire a gun. Also according to the Dailymail.co.uk the gunman Ross Truett Ashley practiced shooting at the same gun range as 2007 killer Seung-Hui Cho. It’s pretty interesting to think that both psychopaths managed to get a gun and find a place to practice at.
This again shows that despite laws to prevent people like Ashley from getting guns that weapons are still far too accessible. Ashley obviously had some sort of mental problem, and yet was still able to acquire a firearm. I fully understand the fact that even if you make gun laws stricter one can still acquire a firearm illegally. But, if you make it stricter they will still be that much harder to get and even if it only prevents one death it would still be worth it to protect that one life.
The latest shooting not only shows how easy it is to acquire firearms but also shows the weak background checks that we have on people who seek to acquire firearms. The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has obviously failed in both these instances and it is painfully obvious that it needs to be reformed. Acquiring a gun should become a longer process in which one should go through numerous background checks. This way we can ensure as much as humanly possible that only the sanest people have possession of firearms.
In the end, while the response to these shooting was far better than the massacre 4 years prior it still definitely showed the flaws in our gun laws as well as the NICS. This latest shooting at Virginia Tech only illustrates how imperative it is that we have stricter gun laws.
Roger Monk • Dec 28, 2011 at 3:37 am
It is important to have an in depth check for any one willing to keep any kind of arms. If not controlled such incidents will leave a mark on college reputation forever.
Jacqy Ley • Dec 13, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Yeah, u need to open ur mind, dumbass. I mean, do u really think all men should be castrated just because few “crazies” raped some women? Do u really think we should get our hands chopped up to prevent “beating to death”? I think u r the kind of people who would KILL EVERYBODY so it “will still be that much harder to” bring murder in the world.
Remember, buddy. Guns don’t kill people. People with guns kill people. Before you bitch about gun laws, fix the people first!!!!
Peter • Dec 13, 2011 at 10:17 am
I agree with Kevin. As a personal friend of Ross Ashley I am insulted that the media is digging for a “crazy” to place the blame on. He wasn’t crazy, I saw him every day for over a year when I went to Radford. He had problems he kept hidden is all I can guess, but he was a normal guy, trust me. He would never have killed another student, he picked a random cop for a reason, and part of that reason was that he was a cop. People hate cops, and while the cop didn’t deserve it, gun owners don’t deserve to be punished either.
Joe Snell • Dec 13, 2011 at 5:45 am
“But, if you make it stricter they will still be that much harder to get and even if it only prevents one death it would still be worth it to protect that one life.” — Trouble is no law has prevented even that one death. How many drinks were kept out of the hands of alcoholics by the Volstead Act of 1921? C’mon, grow up, wake up. Oh, I know. Reality sucks when you’re a liberal.
Kevin • Dec 12, 2011 at 5:51 pm
Stricter gun laws? So keep responsible innocent citizens defenseless? Laws are for honest ppl. Murder is against the law and that didn’t stop him.
sas • Dec 12, 2011 at 4:14 pm
This article is terrible.
” but still showed the need for stricter gun laws” Terrible, thats like saying the holocaust is a good reason why ovens should be banned. The problem is not how easy it is to get a gun, thats the lazy way of thinking. Use critical thinking, the problem is social and mental. I don’t hear you wanting to ban knifes after someone in california is murdered with one..