I didn't think Lanza broke the law by taking the guns - I thought from what I read, that the mother allowed him access to her guns and he was proficient in shooting. I borrow my dads car and I'm not breaking the law. If she left him alone in the house with the guns in the open for him to use - he didn't take them illegally.
The next question becomes accountability. In this case the man had problems. His mother knew it. His father knew it. His brother knew it. There were probably doctors, therapists, pharmacists - anyone who counselled him and prescribed him drugs and handed them out would have known it. So who is accountable really? His mother is dead. What about his father who also knew, also knew his wife was becoming more isolated as a survivalist. What about the brother who knew something was going wrong? Is there an obligation to anyone else to take charge? Frankly although mental problems can be attributed to these mass shootings - if anyone thinks someone is going to tell the truth on a questionairre before getting a gun that 'yes' they have been under a doctors care for emotional or mental problems, give your head a shake. People drive who are drug addicts and alcoholics - do you think if they asked everyone to be truthful and tell the truth before they got a license people would admit it? No. They would just lie and get the license.
I heard today that the Colorado shooter had a therapist of sorts who is now being sued. If she knew and did nothing, could she have stopped it and should she be accountable? Will be interesting but if successful, it will definitely change the way health care professionals deal with people. Not sure how but it will.
I am curious about how many people on this debate have lived outside the USA for any length of time or if they travel very much. I only ask because I hear so often that Americans feel they NEED to protect themselves so they carry a gun everywhere - other countries don't allow you to carry a gun into their country usually - so do most people stay at home or do they travel? sammieswife