Newswise — A good source on violence and gun control issues, in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, is Dr. Harry Wilson, professor of public affairs at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, and author of Guns, Gun Control and Elections (Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2006).
"Could the shooter legally purchase a firearm? He was described in the press conference this morning as a 'resident alien.' If that is correct, and if he could establish that he had been a Virginia resident for 90 days, then he could purchase, assuming he met all the other criteria verified during the state police check. Few students are resident aliens, suggesting that he did not have a student visa and that he had probably been in the country for some time. "Did he purchase the firearms or did he obtain them elsewhere? We do not have this information yet, although there are reports that he had a receipt for a recent purchase of a Glock 9mm pistol. Earlier reports stated that the serial numbers had been filed off the guns. That makes no sense in this context. "Would a waiting period have prevented the tragedy? No. If he purchased the gun in March, that is longer than a five-day period. Given his apparent determination, there is no easy or reasonable way to prevent it from happening."
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