Even if we all agree that felons and crazy people shouldn't have firearms, that doesn't prevent them from getting them. This shooter, just like the nut who shot the Congresswoman last year, and the guy who shot Reagan, and any number of other shooters, buy guns legally before anyone has a reason to "label" them as crazy. If they haven't been certified as crazy, who and why is anyone going to object to selling them a gun? And as for felons, they can always get guns by stealing them, it's a provisioning method they're most familiar with.

Hell, if only law abiding citizens could obtain firearms, very few law abiding citizens would feel a need to keep a weapon for protection.

Coley's right about protection weapons. I'd just about bet that the vast majority of self-defense weapons are owned by people not qualified to use them for the purpose. But that is a different matter and off topic. In this case Ranger Anderson was armed and qualified, but she had no idea that this chain checkpoint runner was anything other than a typical ill-informed park visitor who didn't understand that snow driving conditions deteriorate as one gains elevation going up toward Paradise. If she'd known the driver was armed and crazy and wanted in connnection with the Renton shooting, she would have responded very differently, and possibly have survived.

Sg