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Eugene

(62,767 posts)
Wed Aug 28, 2019, 09:37 PM Aug 2019

El Paso shooting suspect said he ordered his AK-47 and ammo from overseas (Romania, Russia)

Source: Texas Tribune

El Paso shooting suspect said he ordered his AK-47 and ammo from overseas

The white suspect in the racist massacre told El Paso police he bought the gun from Romania and picked it up at a Dallas-area store. Experts say guns imported from overseas are often cheaper than those from the U.S.

BY JOLIE MCCULLOUGH AUG. 28, 2019 21 HOURS AGO

When the alleged gunman walked into an El Paso Walmart earlier this month to carry out the worst massacre of Hispanic people in recent American history, he went in with an assault weapon he said he bought from Romania, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety report obtained by The Texas Tribune.

The white 21-year-old suspect in the shooting told El Paso police shortly after his arrest that the Romanian AK-47 was sent to a gun dealer near his home in Allen, a suburb outside of Dallas. He also said he bought a thousand rounds of ammunition from Russia.

El Paso police previously said that the AK-47 used in the shooting that killed 22 people was bought legally, but they did not provide any additional details about its purchase. In a manifesto published just before the shooting, the alleged shooter said the rifle was a WASR-10, a semi-automatic version of a Romanian military AK-47 weapon. The DPS report obtained by the Tribune includes a summary of the suspect's interview with police, providing more details on the weapon and the suspect's actions in the racist slaying where he said he “wanted to shoot as many Mexicans as possible.”

DPS referred questions about the report to the El Paso Police Department, which declined to comment on the investigation. The suspect's lawyer did not respond to request for comment.

-snip-


Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/28/el-paso-shooting-gun-romania/
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El Paso shooting suspect said he ordered his AK-47 and ammo from overseas (Romania, Russia) (Original Post) Eugene Aug 2019 OP
OK I ordered a steak & kidney pie from England via Amazon Skittles Aug 2019 #1
Weird times we live in...... secondwind Aug 2019 #2
Probably free of charge, a gift from uncle Vlad. Meadowoak Aug 2019 #3
they send us trump and guns samir.g Aug 2019 #4
As the article indicates it was actually a WASR-10 not an AK-47. PoliticAverse Aug 2019 #5
If accuracy is the point, the article indicates that the murderer claims it was a WASR-10 mr_lebowski Aug 2019 #6
Still had to do the background check Abnredleg Aug 2019 #7
Background checks are not extensive enough, which is the problem. mapol Sep 2019 #8
Wait.... radical noodle Sep 2019 #9
There are clearly too many loopholes in the background checks that need to be closed. mapol Sep 2019 #10

Skittles

(160,304 posts)
1. OK I ordered a steak & kidney pie from England via Amazon
Wed Aug 28, 2019, 09:53 PM
Aug 2019

and it was intercepted by customs and DESTROYED

yet this guy can order a fucking AK-47??????????????????

WHAT. THE. EVER. LOVING. FUCK?????

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
5. As the article indicates it was actually a WASR-10 not an AK-47.
Wed Aug 28, 2019, 10:50 PM
Aug 2019

An AK-47 is an automatic rifle (i.e. a machine gun).

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
6. If accuracy is the point, the article indicates that the murderer claims it was a WASR-10
Thu Aug 29, 2019, 03:47 AM
Aug 2019

in his manifesto.

Not saying it WAS an AK-47 (in fact I rather doubt it was), but 'the article', as in, the author thereof ... did not state it wasn't.

Abnredleg

(1,002 posts)
7. Still had to do the background check
Thu Aug 29, 2019, 06:01 AM
Aug 2019

Mail order guns are very common but they have to be shipped to a licensed gun dealer, who has to do a background check with the FBI.

This just points out the weakness of relying on background checks, since most people can pass them. Other measures need to be taken.

mapol

(91 posts)
8. Background checks are not extensive enough, which is the problem.
Tue Sep 3, 2019, 04:01 PM
Sep 2019

First of all, rogue gun dealers who refuse to comply with the requirements of extensive background checks and waiting periods should be forced out of business.

Secondly, Congress should close the loophole that allows illegal gun sales to take place at gun shows.

Thirdly, gun dealers should make a point of not only screening prospective gun buyers, but refusing to sell firearms to anybody with a history of anger management issues, or a criminal record, when their name(s) come up on that dealer's computer.

Fourth: Mandatory waiting periods should be implemented.

radical noodle

(8,819 posts)
9. Wait....
Tue Sep 3, 2019, 09:33 PM
Sep 2019

How is a gun dealer going to know if a person has a history of anger management issues? I think you may misunderstand how background checks work.


fords.org/gun-laws/policy-areas/background-checks/background-check-procedures/

The single largest gap in the federal background check requirement is that unlicensed, private sellers are not required to conduct background checks. This means that, unless state law requires a background check for these sales, convicted felons, domestic abusers, and other ineligible people can legally buy guns—even though they would fail a background check if purchasing from an FFL. Fortunately, 21 states have closed the federal loophole to require unlicensed sellers to conduct background checks on some or all firearms purchasers. This issue is addressed in detail in our summary on Universal Background Checks.


NOTE: don't know why the link isn't right after it's posted, because it is correct in the preview. Try lawcenter.giffords.org/gun-laws/ and go from there.

Another good site is:
https://www.thetrace.org/2015/07/gun-background-check-nics-guide/

mapol

(91 posts)
10. There are clearly too many loopholes in the background checks that need to be closed.
Wed Sep 4, 2019, 04:28 AM
Sep 2019

Obviously, the background checks aren't thorough enough, since people like the VA Tech Shooter, Dylan Roof, Alanza Adams, to name a few have managed to obtain firearms despite having a history of mental health problems, drug use charges, etc. Those loopholes need to be closed--immediately!

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