Va. Tech shooter had no ties to the university (22 Y.O. college student at Radford College)

[jpak]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57340636/va-tech-shooter-had-no-ties-to-the-university/

BLACKSBURG, Va. - A dean's list student who killed a Virginia Tech police officer had no ties to the university and did not know the patrolman, authorities said Friday without offering a motive for a crime spree that spanned two days and ended in suicide.

Ross Truett Ashley, 22, first drew authorities' attention when he robbed his landlord's office at gunpoint Wednesday. He took the keys to a Mercedes-Benz sport utility vehicle later found in Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech, about 10 miles away.

Ashley, a part-time business student at Radford University, was described by those who knew him as a typical college student, though he could be quiet and standoffish. He liked to run down the hallways and recently shaved his head, a neighbor said.

Police said he walked up to officer Deriek W. Crouse on Thursday and shot him to death as the patrolman sat in his unmarked cruiser in the midst of a traffic stop. Ashley was not involved in the stop and did not know the driver, police said.

<more>

This is the kind of student that the GOP/NRA wants carry guns on campus

over 21 - no criminal record -> CCW permit

idiots

yup

[gejohnston]

1. where does it say no criminal record?

I missed it. I am guessing investigators will find some serious dirt in his life. Mental health or criminal. People fall through the cracks even in Europe.

[DonP]

6. I can't seem to find any reference to a CCW either

[petronius]

2. I can't speak for the GOP/NRA, but what I advocate is that the 99.9+% of other*

CCW permit holders be allowed the choice whether or not to carry on campus (as a I assume you noticed, this guy was already on campus).

IOW, I see no valid reason for campuses to be treated differently than other spaces where CCW is currently allowed; permit holders have created no particular problems off campus, and there's no reason to suppose that that pattern would change on campus...

(* "Other" assumes that the description of Ashley as a previously law-abiding and legitimate CCW permit holder is correct.)

[Hoyt]

3. Gun toters never go nuts and shoot people with their pride and joy.

[rl6214]

5. WTF is a "gun toter(s)"?

This was/is a criminal.

[Hoyt]

8. Was he a criminal before he shot policeman?

[gejohnston]

11. yeah

armed robbery and grand theft auto.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/virginia-tech

[rl6214]

4. Obviously a law prohibiting him from carrying a gun didn't stop him

So a law allowing concealed carry is not going to make any difference to a person like this.

Moron.

[Hoyt]

13. New sales restrictions, background checks, etc., could have made difference, directly or indirectly.

[gejohnston]

15. sure about that?

Do you know where he got it?

[Hoyt]

19. You sure don't. I'm betting he got it at gun store, or private sale. Both methods need rethinking.

But, even if he stole it -- I'd still say we need more restrictions. There are too many guns out there -- and the gunners here want more made and sold, Too many guns, means too many guns available for theft.

We can stop a lot of gun sales at dealers and privately. It's just like when the deer population grows too large, you gotta do something to cut them (and guns) back.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

22. Classic gun-grabber talk... past safe-ownership laws and literally reducing (taking) civilian guns.

You've been kissing so much gun-grabber ass, now you got thier shit coming out of your mouth too.

Gun confiscation and gun control are losing topics in the political realm.
For every step the gun control lobby makes the pro gun lobby takes 5 steps.
People like freedom - it'll be hard to take away once it's been allowed so ubiquitously.

[We_Have_A_Problem]

25. So you have no idea where he got it...

but you assume he obtained it legally, admit he may have stolen it and then claim because any of those may be true, ownership by others must be restricted...


Hmm....

[SteveM]

27. Funny, prohibition is like that. nt

[ileus]

7. I can't find where it states he has a CHP? or that he didn't have a criminal record...

[Hoyt]

9. Let us know when you find out. Clearly he was packing a gun.

[ileus]

10. Legally?

[Hoyt]

12. Well, if the police had stopped him to check -- gunners here would have whined to high heaven.

You guys would have been calling for him to file suit against the police too.

He might not have been carrying legally -- but, I bet he could have legally bought one. There's your problem and why we need to tighten regulation of sales and require all sales to be background checked through an FFL.

[gejohnston]

14. If they randomly stopped him to

check to see if he had any pot, would you be all for it? Or would you whine to high heaven and send him the number to the ACLU?

[Hoyt]

16. Be fine with me if that's the trade-off to people packing guns, particularly in cities.

[gejohnston]

18. so you like the fourth amendment as much as the second?

Do you seriously think you are a liberal? I think you have been hanging around too many right wing authoritarians too long.

[LAGC]

21. We'll keep the Second and Fourth Amendments as they are, thank you very much.

If you despise the Bill of Rights that much, amend it.

Good luck trying...

[Straw Man]

17. You "bet" he could have legally bought one?

Based on what? Just feeling lucky today?

[LAGC]

20. (wrong spot)

[ileus]

23. 20k students at VT...that's a lot of random checks. bet they'd find more drugs than firearms.

[We_Have_A_Problem]

26. If he could have bought one legally....

...he could have been carrying one legally.

One needs no permit to carry in one's car in VA. Further, VA is an open carry state, so he could have worn it on his hip in broad daylight.

[We_Have_A_Problem]

24. Could you be more dishonest?

Lets see...he's over 21, you got that part right.

No mention of CCW.

No mention of him having no criminal record.

In fact, it specifically sates he ROBBED (you realize that's a crime right?) his landlords office and took the keys to an SUV that wasn't his (we call that theft, and yes it is also a crime).