Great 'hero' story. Was the gun registered? Why did he carry his backpack around campus with a loaded gun inside.

That was my question too.

And is he now expelled for having a gun at school? Or was he at school? The article says 'apartment' but it doesn't say on or off campus.

If he was on campus, he should be expelled. He didn't know when he put that gun in his backpack that this was going to happen.

I get the feeling there is MORE to this story.

Agreed.

Why would two masked gunman break in to an apartment with 10 people, rob everybody, then decide to take the time to rape the women, all the while still holding these 10 people hostage?

Doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

He can't get in trouble with the school because there isn't a campus in College Park.

According to the wiki page, the College Park name came about by way of a lottery. Someone picked that name because Cox College used to be in the area.

Odd city name then, but no surprise to anyone who's been to Bumpass, Virginia, or Normal, Illinois, or French Lick, Indiana. None of them live up to their billing either.

Finally some actual news coverage of the story.

Same reason most people like to conceal a weapon. It probably makes him feel safe. It's the mentality of "better to have a gun and not need one than to need a gun and not have one."

It happened to work pretty damn well for this guy. As long as somebody is mentally healthy and properly trained, I don't think it's a problem for them to carry a gun. Especially considering the fact that sometimes crazy people with bad intentions and no regard for human life carry them. Then innocent people die.

If you were in the classroom at Virginia Tech when all hell broke loose, wouldn't you want the good guy sitting next to you to have a gun? Because the bad guy is going to have one regardless. Because he isn't worried about getting expelled.

this being on some random forum and saying "dead motherfukkah lol" in the middle of the page makes me doubt the validity of the information presented here.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/19365762/detail.html

Can you not see the problem with this stance?

You get a gun. I see you have the gun and instantly you are a threat to me. You may bear me no ill will at all, but you have the gun and I don't know enough about you to know whether or not you will use it against me in either a threatening or coercive manner. To redress the balance I get a gun. Then others see us toting our guns about the place and feel the same so they get guns too.

Before you know where you are you have guns so prolific that petty criminals are so empowered that they're breaking into people's apartments to rob and rape them.

When you have too many guns, more guns is not the answer.

But neither is making them illegal.

In the context of my comment, why do you bring that up?

I didn't mention gun legislation at all.

But as you do, there's a good enough correlation between lax gun controls/high gun crime and tight gun controls/low gun crime around the world to refute your statement.

But if everyone HAD a gun and everyone knew that everyone HAD a gun, how many petty criminals would be willing to break into a house if they knew a person with a firearm, the training to use it effectively, and the legal protection to shoot an intruder on sight was behind the door? This type of home invasion crime is common in the United States already, but not so common in rural areas where the inhabitants are more likely to be heavily armed. I come from a gun nut family. I don't own a gun, but I have been trained in hand to hand self defense against someone who has a gun. I sleep with a baseball bat in my bedroom, and I have prepared myself for the fact that an armed person who breaks into my house better be prepared to shoot me. I will not be cowed by a person with a firearm. I am not willing to have a shoot out in my home, or even the remote chance that one of my children or children's friends obtain a loaded firearm in my home. It is a choice that my wife and I have made, but it does not mean I am against people protecting their person, property, or family with a firearm, it is a risk that one has to weigh for themselves. Many societies who have mandatory military requirements ensure that a person in every household has some type of firearm, and they do not suffer from more of this type of crime.

I have learned as time has gone on, we live in a world now that we need to protect ourselves. That's just the way it is. When I was a kid (gradeschooler)I walked by myself a quarter mile in the snow to the bus stop and my parents thought nothing of it. Today my wife and I live in a typical single home neighborhood of good people and not one kid is at the bus stop without a parent. This is the society we live in. There is no trust anymore. I have three guns. I've never used them other than at ranges. My Wife knows where they are and how to use them. Things have changed now. If some nut breaks into your house with a gun and you are unprepared...guess who wins. This is the new mentality. Get used to it.

I don't think that home invasions are "common", maybe I am just nitpicking the way you are describing the level of occurrence for this type of crime. I think these crimes get a lot of media attention and are probably the type of crime that scares most people. I think we all want to feel secure in our homes and this definitely is the reason I think most gun owners cite for gun ownership.

I think the largest trend in the US criminally, is Meth connected crimes. People on meth or seeking to fund their addiction acting criminally. If you look at statistics for crime, especially in west and midwest cities, more than half is being linked to meth. Typical meth users are not known for their well reasoned approach or planning skills. It is with this in mind that I would refute your argument that if everyone had a gun nobody would commit a home invasion crime. Someone that is in a drug induced psychosis will not behave rationally.

I think people should be able to own guns after being trained in usage, handling, & maintenance.

All the desperate chancers who felt they had nothing to lose. The poor and desperate, the drug addicts, people who are already under threat from other sources, that's who. And that's just a snippet.

This dream of a well ordered society where all the people with guns are rational and well trained is just that - a dream. Are you going to rely on everyone with a gun - every single one of them - not to get drunk and angry and start shooting things up?

Show me a world where there are no crimes of passion at all involving guns and then you might have a place where your model works. But of course in that place, who would need the guns?

We do not live in a world like that. You live in a society like that?

Why?

And are you just going to roll over and take it?

I believe the society I live in is BETTER than what to expect in some parts of this War Driven world. Doesn't make me think people shouldnt be able to protect themselves from loonies and idiots. I should mention there is a Maximum security prison about 6 miles from my house. Roll over and take it, I'm not sure what you mean?

AMEN to this.

I'm asking you to question. You know of a time when it wasn't like this for you. What has changed? It can't just be the prison. Are you going to shrug your shoulders and get on with polish your weapon? That's what I mean by roll over and take it.

And you missed what I meant by the society you live in.

Not everyone on Plime is in America. I'm not. The society I live in doesn't necessitate everyone to jump at every shadow and believe that a personal arsenal is the only way forward.

Which would you prefer? The society you are accepting or the one you grew up in?

Like I said, when you have too many guns, more guns is not the answer.