Dark night in Aurora, CO

The suspect in the Colorado shooting bought two pistols, a semiautomatic rifle and a shotgun since May, avoiding federal reporting requirements and taking advantage of the state’s failure to pass significant firearms legislation since the Columbine massacre 13 years ago.

The suspect, James Holmes, 24, didn’t purchase the handguns from the same store within five days, which would have triggered a requirement for the seller to notify the U.S. Justice Department, according to a federal official who asked for anonymity and wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. Holmes hadn’t committed any offenses that would have raised an alarm during required background checks, the official said.

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After Columbine, a measure requiring background checks for purchases at gun shows passed the U.S. Senate and stalled in the House. There were no major gun control measures approved after the Virginia Tech shooting or when Jared Lee Loughner opened fire last year in a parking lot near Tucson, killing six and wounding Giffords.

In Colorado, state lawmakers refused to pass new gun control measures after Columbine. Voters responded by approving a constitutional amendment that required background checks before firearms could be purchased at a gun show.

A bill that would have eliminated Colorado’s background check system, known as InstaCheck, passed the Republican- controlled Colorado House this year and stalled in the Senate, controlled by Democrats. The measure was backed by the National Rifle Association, which said the check duplicated federal requirements.

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Two of the guns were purchased at the Denver store of Bass Pro Shops, said Larry Whiteley, manager of communications for the Springfield, Missouri-based company. The store followed federal requirements and background checks were conducted, Whiteley said in a statement.

In Colorado, there are no specific regulations that would prohibit those guns from being owned, said Robert Brown, the agent in charge of background checks at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Waiting Period

Colorado doesn’t require gun registration and there is no specific waiting period to buy a gun. Instead, purchases are approved as soon as U.S. authorities clear a list of 10 criteria, such as assuring the buyer isn’t a fugitive or an illegal alien, and the state conducts its own checks, including for restraining orders and juvenile arrests.

Colorado allows residents to carry concealed weapons. Sheriffs approve concealed-carry permits if applicants are at least 21, haven’t committed perjury and complete a gun training course, among other requirements. The state also recognizes concealed-carry permits from 30 other states.

Colorado residents with a permit cannot carry a firearm in schools, some government buildings and on private property where guns are prohibited by the owner, Brown said.

This stuff sucks but it's rare. Very rare.

but it's the deliberate proliferation of cheap small arms in this country that make it feel like you may want or need to.

problem is that with armor said citzen or cop would have to be mighty frosty to hit the kill zone with a pistol in bad light with smoke and confusion..

Yes, I am quite scared of nuts with guns, I admit that. But you know, it's only when I'm travelling to the USA it's an issue. When I roam other places on this planet, it's a non-issue.

and if I was armed chances are 99.999999999999999% that nothing would need shooting.

I see concealed gun carriers as potential murderers.