Coalition To Stop Gun Violence:
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007
2:45 PM
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CONTACT: Coalition To Stop Gun Violence
Ladd Everitt
202-408-0061 x103
Leveritt@csgv.org
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Tougher Gun Laws Could Have Prevented Virginia Tech Tragedy
Screening Process Would Have Revealed Numerous Red Flags In Shooter's Background
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Washington, D.C. - As details continue to emerge about Cho Seung-Hui, the shooter who took 33 lives including his own in a shooting at the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, it is clear that there were numerous, documented warning signs that indicated he was a danger to both himself and others around him. Nonetheless, Cho was able to purchase a handgun on two separate occasions in Virginia in 2007, passing a computerized background check each time.
"What is clear in this case," said Coalition to Stop Gun Violence Executive Director Josh Horwitz, "is that even a rudimentary screening process could have revealed that this young man was a ticking time bomb. Put simply, Cho Seung-Hui never should have been able to purchase a handgun or any other firearm."
Certain states, such as New York and New Jersey, require residents to obtain a permit before purchasing a handgun. This permitting process involves a careful screening of applicants, requiring character references, fingerprinting and an extensive background check. An applicant's mental health history is examined, and local law enforcement officers can request consent to examine medical health records and speak to doctors.
Cho's behavior had attracted the attention of teachers, fellow students and even law enforcement. His violent writings so upset students that teacher Nikki Giovanni threatened to quit if he was not removed from her poetry class. "I knew when [the shooting] happened that that's probably who it was," she said. "I would have been shocked if it wasn't." Cho had also been accused of stalking two female students and was referred to the university disciplinary system. In December 2005 a Virginia district court ruled that Cho was "an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness" and ordered that he be evaluated at a psychiatric facility. He was released the next day. Throughout this period, local police had at least three contacts with Cho.
Although he passed a background check on two occasions, it is unclear whether Cho's handgun purchases were legal under federal law. Federal law prohibits individuals who have been "adjudicated as a mental defective" or "committed to any mental institution" from purchasing firearms. Virginia State Police maintain the sale was legal under state law and the Virginia attorney general's office has yet to comment on the case.
"Whether or not this case involved a failure to transmit data to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) system, a licensing and registration process could have quickly revealed the numerous red flags in Cho's personal history," said Horwitz. "A system marked by redundancy is more effective at preventing dangerous individuals from getting their hands on guns. As policy makers consider the lessons of this tragedy, they should look at state models that are exhibiting best practices in protecting public safety."
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence is also urging the passage of H.R. 297, the "NICS Improvement Act of 2007." The bill, sponsored by Representative Carolyn McCarthy, would provide grants to states to assist them in transferring information on mental-illness adjudications to the NICS database, as well as other disqualifying records that would prevent prohibited individuals from purchasing firearms. Currently, few states transfer any disqualifying mental health records to federal authorities.
"Any suggestion that stronger laws and enforcement couldn't have stopped this tragedy is wrong," said Horwitz. "We need to put a premium on protecting the public and saving lives, not catering to a gun lobby that seeks unrestricted access to firearms in order to stockpile arms to overthrow our government should it become 'tyrannical.'"
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence was founded in 1975 and is composed of 45 civic, professional and religious organizations and 100,000 individual members working to reduce gun violence. Our mission is to stop gun violence by fostering effective community and national action. For more information about the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, visit www.csgv.org.
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