Damn, Frasier has hit the forum yet again. He's simply too good at arguing, it makes me very uncomfortable.
The guy could've got his mits on a gun irrespective of legality. What this incident has done is really illuminate the whole gun rights issue. The general public are currently more sensitive to gun rights and similar issues because of the shootings, the issue is more open to debate. It's like how people only get really riled after a terrorist attack, for example.
There is a case for banning guns in America, the primary reason being that the gun crime and homicide-by-gun rate are so high. There's a clear link between the number of guns in circulation and the amount of gun crime, hence banning them would save lives. For a start, the feasibility of this is questionable, how could this be enforced? There are so many guns going around that it would be a difficult if not impossible job controlling them. A huge black market would be generated instantly.
Another issue is the huge pro-gun lobby in America who would sooner turn terrorist than give up their M-16s. There is also a lot of support for gun rights from the public because it's written in the constitution.
The issue also runs deeper than the circulation of guns and the correlation with gun-crime; it comes down to the attitude of Americans themselves, who are more likely to use guns as weapons than people of other nations where guns are popular.
Personally I think a ban on guns would be a great move, but the millions of Americans who don't see eye-to-eye with a rather rationalist argument obviously prevent that.