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MURRAY — Now that we know more about accused Colorado shooter James Homles, the next question for many is how was he able to get those kinds of guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
There was a bit of tension in the air at Get Some LLC Gun Shop in Murray Friday night. A quiet uneasiness set in as customers filed through the bustling shop, commenting on the Colorado tragedy.
"Everybody is mentioning it as they come in," manager Art Fermanian said. "We feel very saddened for everyone involved."
At Fermanian's shop, they closely track every purchase and do things by the books, including background checks and federal paperwork.
That's exactly what the gun shops in Colorado did for Holmes as well, when he purchased four guns. They had no way of knowing his sinister intentions. His only past crime: a traffic ticket.
"Typically, a law-abiding citizen can go in and buy a weapon," said Bill Pederson, of the Utah Shooting Sports Council. "As long as they do not have a criminal background, they are legally and lawfully able to possess that weapon."
Authorities say Holmes started buying his four weapons legally in May, about the time his grades fell and he began the process of dropping out of school. He purchased two handguns, a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle.
The guns were purchased at two national chain stores in Denver. In the past 60 days, Holmes bought more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition at gun shops and over the Internet.
In both Utah and Colorado, no red flags likely would have popped up with Holmes, and his crime has people across the country on edge.
"There was actually an individual who runs a (movie) theater (who) came in today and bought a handgun," Fermanian said. "He's feeling like he needs to prepare himself for something like that, and (he's) even hiring security for his theater."
