Could a change in gun laws prevent the attack? Let’s start with universal background checks, would not have prevented Loughner from legally purchasing the firearm he used. Why, because he passed a universal background check to purchase the gun used. Many activist fail to realize that anyone who purchases a gun in the U.S. is required to pass a background check. Another law that has been proposed is to restrict high capacity magazines. In the 90’s, the federal government imposed a ban on “Assult Weapons,” included in this ban was a restriction on magazines that held more than ten rounds. This ban was in place from 1994 to 2004; Columbine took place in 1999 (Postel, 2016). In Giffords case, one can argue that had Loughner not had the thirty-one round magazines he would not have been able to shoot so many people, this might be true, or he may have just had to reload more
Could a change in gun laws prevent the attack? Let’s start with universal background checks, would not have prevented Loughner from legally purchasing the firearm he used. Why, because he passed a universal background check to purchase the gun used. Many activist fail to realize that anyone who purchases a gun in the U.S. is required to pass a background check. Another law that has been proposed is to restrict high capacity magazines. In the 90’s, the federal government imposed a ban on “Assult Weapons,” included in this ban was a restriction on magazines that held more than ten rounds. This ban was in place from 1994 to 2004; Columbine took place in 1999 (Postel, 2016). In Giffords case, one can argue that had Loughner not had the thirty-one round magazines he would not have been able to shoot so many people, this might be true, or he may have just had to reload more