Actually all four of the firearms possessed and used by the shooters at the Columbine school massacre were acquired at a gun show.
One (TEC DC-9 9mm semiautomatic pistol) was purchased by Marc Manes at a gun show. Three (two shotguns and a carbine) were purchased by Robyn Anderson, at a gun show.
Which one of the four firearms was not acquired at a gun show?
This can be a teachable moment/occasion.
Now we’re all familiar with the oft repeated “Special Report”
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities
Firearm Use by Offenders which spells out that; “In 1997 among State inmates possessing a gun, fewer than 2%
bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show”.
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/fuo.pdfThat fewer than 2% (1.7% actually) is spewed out in this forum as if it means something. Now what does it really mean?
Let’s use those two assholes that massacred so many at Columbine. Just suppose (pretend) they hadn’t killed themselves and were
Interviewed in a Survey of Inmates as to how they acquired the firearms they used in the crime that resulted in their imprisonment (before they were executed).
Many would say, of the four firearms, three were from the friends or family category, (Robyn Anderson) and the one bought from Marc Manes could be categorized as Street/illegal source since Manes did time for selling the handgun to minors. The gun show category wouldn’t even register. Yet the fact is, “All four guns used in the Columbine shootings were bought from private sellers at gun shows” just as you noted MAIG’s ad claims. Now eleven years later it is well known and common knowledge that all four firearms were sold at gun shows.
The obvious point is, that all or any part of the percentage of guns used by inmates could have come thru gun shows and still show up in the 78.8% categorized as from family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source, just like those used at Columbine.
As to the term straw purchase your post contains a description of the elements involved in what is commonly referred to as a straw purchase. The Federal Law however, requires a component necessary for prosecution which Robyn Anderson did not commit, she did not deal with an FFL and did not fill out a form 4473. Robyn Anderson (not in any generic sense but very specifically) did not commit the Federal crime ATF calls a “straw purchase” and did not commit any crime much less a felony, when she bought firearms at a gun show which were used by the perpetrators of the Columbine school massacre. Think about it. Do you really think that if there was any Federal, State or local law they could possibly have prosecuted her for they wouldn’t have? Of course they would have. At the time law enforcement community was out for blood, they would have hung her from the town square if they could have found any violation.