On 16th April 2007, the world recieved news of the massacre in Virginia Tech—the deadliest single-perpetrator mass shooting in US history. Seung-Hui Cho killed 33 people including himself. He had previously been involved in criminal activity, including allegations of stalking, referrals to counseling, and a 2005 declaration of mental illness by a Virginia special justice. This might be the key reason that caused the tragedy as reported in the media. However, the tragedy could has been averted had he not had weapons with him, which were the two guns he shot the students, professors and himself with.
Cho should have been prohibited from buying firearms after a Virginia court declared him to be a danger to himself in 2005 and he was sent for psychiatric treatment. However according to Virginia law allows for permanent residents like Cho to obtain firearms legally as long as he shows proof of residency irregardless of his mental condition. A gun in the hands of a distressed individual is a tragedy waiting to happen. Even though Virginia Tech has a blanket ban on possession or storage of firearms on campus, Cho managed to challenge this policy, Cho brought in the guns and did it without suspicion? The school's security enforcement comes into question, it was almost non-existent.
The root of the problem is the ease of accessibility of firearms in US, i feel that it should be re-examined as the massacre has shown us once again how common fatality can be caused by firearms in the US. I believe that changing of the firearms regulations in US can prevent such heartbreaking incidents in the future.
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