ABSTRACT
One of the worst gun massacres in modern American history began on an otherwise ordinary Monday morning in the middle of the spring semester on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also known as Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Virginia Tech shooter's choice of weapons—a 9mm Glock 19 pistol and a.22-caliber Walther P22—were both semiautomatic handguns purchased legally at local stores. One important feature of gun laws in America is that relatively few exist at the national level; at the state level, they vary widely. Thus, the gun purchases Cho made easily in Virginia probably could not have occurred in a state with stricter gun laws, such as New York. In the Empire State only those with a valid, state-issued permit can purchase handguns. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
