Virginia closes gun sales loophole

Published 9:00 pm Monday, April 30, 2007

RICHMOND, Va. – The governor on Monday closed the loophole in state law that allowed the Virginia Tech gunman to buy weapons despite a court ruling that he was a threat and needed psychiatric counseling.

Gov. Timothy Kaine issued an executive order requiring that a database of people banned from buying guns include the name of anyone who is found to be dangerous and ordered to get mental health treatment, as Seung-Hui Cho was in 2005.

But because Cho was treated as an outpatient and never committed to a mental health hospital, the court’s decision was not entered into the database, which gun dealers must check before selling a weapon.

But Monday’s order would not prevent Cho from acquiring guns by several other means that require no background check in Virginia, including buy-and-trade publications, individual transactions among gun collectors or hobbyists, and gun shows.

Cho, a 23-year-old Virginia Tech senior, bought his guns through gun shops before gunning down 32 people on campus, then killing himself. No motive has been established.