Navy Yard shooter latest in series of servicemen booted from military but still able to buy guns

http://www.marinij.com/ci_24135721/navy-yard-shooter-latest-series-servicemen-booted-from

Navy Yard shooter latest in series of servicemen booted from military but still able to buy guns
By Josh Richman
Posted: 09/19/2013 05:18:10 PM PDT

They were deemed unfit to continue serving in the military -- yet nothing stopped Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis and a series of other former servicemen from buying guns as civilians before going on rampages in the last 14 months.

The law only keeps guns from the worst of the worst military rejects -- fewer than 800 in the most recent year data is available -- but does nothing to restrict gun purchases by thousands more who are discharged for what the military considers serious offenses.

Since last August alone, men booted from military service have used legally purchased firearms to slay six Sikh worshipers in Wisconsin, two co-workers in a New Jersey grocery store, two police detectives in Santa Cruz, and on Monday, 12 people in the Washington massacre.

Yet, the idea of depriving guns from anyone who served their country is so sensitive, a pending bill in Congress defends the gun rights of people whom the Department of Veterans Affairs deems mentally incompetent.