It doesn’t appear to matter to people like Bloomberg and Nickels that various studies have concluded that criminals don’t get their guns from gun shows.
The rare exception and the one that seems to be repeatedly exploited was the case of Columbine High School killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. Three of the four guns used in that crime were bought for them by Robyn Anderson at a gun show, who was not prosecuted, but did testify in favor of background checks at gun shows.
Now, full disclosure: I sit on the board of directors of the Washington Arms Collectors, which operates gun shows. The experience has provided an inside look at gun show operations.
Contrary to what Bloomberg and his bunch would have us believe, they are not “arms bazaars for criminals.” Gun shows, at least the ones operated by WAC, are pretty tightly regulated. I’ve seen members suspended for infractions of the rules. Following the Virginia Tech massacre, anti-gunners called for a closure of the so-called “gun show loophole,” knowing full well that killer Seung-Hui Cho did not obtain either of his handguns from a gun show.
The 51-page document suggests a handful of strategies that would tighten ATF oversight of thousands of gun shows held annually. Here in Washington State, in the wake of both the Capitol Hill massacre and the shooting at the Jewish Federation offices in downtown Seattle, calls went out to close the “gun show loophole.”
Authorities knew that neither Kyle Huff, the Capitol Hill killer who took his own life, nor accused Jewish Federation gunman Naveed Haq obtained their guns from gun shows. It’s as ridiculous as blaming George Bush for Chicago’s failure to snag the Olympic Games. Read more
Source: Seattle Gun Rights Examiner
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