" Why is an AK-47 assault rifle legal in the first place? Its whole purpose is to kill people, as many as possible in the shortest length of time. That's it. There's no other reason to own one. It's not a hunting weapon. Now, this nut could have killed people with a knife or a bolt-action rifle, but it's highly unlikely he could have killed so many, so fast. When are we going to wake up and stop letting the NRA dictate these things. Reasonable gun restrictions only make sense,... unless you, too, plan to get fame by killing innocent people. "

" WCG is right. The NRA has too much control in this country. Weapons designed for nothing more then murder should not be legal, they should not exist. If others had been carrying concealed weapons I fear that this tragedy would have been worse. Imagine 30 people pulling out guns and shooting at anyone that they thought might be the killer, more innocent people would have been hurt. As WCG said, this crazed fool would have found some other way to hurt people, but with most any other weapon fewer people would have been hurt before help could arrive. "

" From everything I have read that gun did not kill anyone the punk kid behind it did. You go get a AK47 or any gun you want and go lay in in the middle of a mall and you come back and tell me home many people that gun killed. Why do we need to find something or someone to blame this on? The killer is resonsible for himself and nobody else. "

" Every firearm that has been designed as a military weapon at one point or another. The phrase "assault" was coined through the media after the Stockton School shootings in California. Charles Whitman primarily used a bolt action rifle in Texas in 1966. The result was 47 victims. People didn't jump saying the bolt action was unnecessary. It is the person. This argument is equal to saying that Exxon is responsible for motor vehicle deaths. Lets maintain the focus on the crimanl that committed the act of murder instead of the tool that was used. "

" I see a different scenerios, perhaps if a concealed weapon carrier was present, they could have shout Mr. Hawkins, and stopped him from killing as many people. Less innocent people would have been hurt then. "

" eagle get your fact straight the media did not coin the word assault as used in assault rifle you and mr c need help see people this is just the type of uneducated people who say we need this type of weapon to go hunt squirrels mmmmm they taste good "

" WCG and Laura, So put the NRA on trial, they must have pulled the trigger, HUH? Now lets look at alcohol and drugs he abused. Lets put the manufacturers of those items on trial, no, only the alcohol manufacturers. Those selling illegal drugs are the same as the coward, it's not their fault. So he got fired, lets put McDonalds on trial for doing that as well as the girl that broke up with him. Of course the fact that this yellow bellied coward made a CHOICE to attack unarmed people has no bearing on this matter does it. Let's blame someone other than him. Give him is moment of glory as he wanted, make excuses for him. How about personal accountability and responsibility? Describe his actions for what they were. Every thing I do in my life is my choice, not yours or anyone elses. If things in life are tough it is a good indication I need to change, not you or anyone else, but me. Same goes for him, the decisions may be hard to make but there are lots of people that want to help those who want to help themselves. If you want to waller in self pity and blame the world don't expect life to change. "

" If the AK-47 didn't exist, then these people that were killed would be alive. I partially blame to step-father for making it easy for Robert Hawkins to have easy access to this weapon. Robert's step-father should be punished by law for letting Robert have access to this rifle and he should be sued by the victim's families. "

" There are two issues everyone is commenting on. The kid who killed everyone, and the type of gun used. Yes, Hawkins would have probably done it even with out the AK-47. But the question is WHY own a gun like an AK-47? What purpose does THAT kind of gun serve? Handguns and hunting rifles are one thing, but what is the purpose of a average American owning an AK-47? What purpose does it serve? It can't be used for hunting. As for self protection, don't you think an AK-47 is a little much? Can anyone logically answer those questions without using the phrase "it's his right". Why own THAT sort of weapon? "

" Responsible gun owners need to have good safes to ensure that kids or burglars do not have access to family firearms. Nothing wrong with owning guns. They just need to used responsibly. "

" I find it HIGHLY OFFENSIVE that people declare a Murderer Innocent by transferring the responsibility of the crime to an OBJECT (The Gun). It was a Human Being that did this crime, not an inanimate object from someone's collection. "

" I love this argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people. It always seems so boiler plate, so unoriginal. People have been touting it for years, and in an age where we have the loosest gun laws in the world, more people are carrying than ever before, yet has crime gone down in this country? No. Crime actually has steadily risen since the 70s, which coincidentally, is when the NRA became the behemoth that it is. So my question for those who say people kill people, if you take the gun from his hand, does he still kill 8 people? Would more guns solve this issue? Obviously not, since we have more guns and these things still happen. Do you know how many gun deaths occurred in Great Britain last year? 78. In the US, 30,000. Do you know how many assault rifles are legal in Great Britain? 0. In the US, all of them. It doesn't take a statistician to figure this stuff out. "

" There is a VERY easy solution to something like this. If Nebraska (congress) would pass a law saying that if a gun is used for something like this the GUN OWNER is responsible. No questions asked, no trial. He goes to prison for 10 years and fined $100,000. Do you think that maybe Hawkins' step-father just might have locked this gun up someplace safe? "

" I shot my deer last year with my SKS. It is nothing more than a high power rifle with a mean look! Anti-gun people need to go to some gun classes and get some kind of a clue on what you are talking about. Guns did not cause this, junk meds and violent video games did! "

" Yes, an AK-47 can be used for hunting. It is simply a semi-automatic rifle with ballistics similiar to rifles manufactured by Winchester, Remington, etc. The only thing that may have been different is if this AK had a "high capacity" magazine, which I have not heard if it did or not. Traditional hunting rifles do not come with high capacity magazines. The only legitimate argument I see here is that those magazine should be banned or have controlled sales as they are not needed for hunting. People posting here are posting bad information when they attack the AK-47 as the criminal. There are many other weapons someone could buy or make that could have done more damage (eg. pipe-bombs, IEDs, large caliber handguns). We can't possibly outlaw all weapons like this, so let's focus on identifying the young people who need help in our society. "

" it is his right to own an ak-47. I own several guns and to be honest, i would like to own an ak-47. Why? Probably because of the history of the gun. One of the first assault rifles from WWII . Why do you old ladies go to antique malls and buy all that junk? all im saying is that it IS his right to own this gun. and it does say they dont know where he got the ammo from. So possibly there was no ammo with the gun. All you city folk Stop blaming others for this kids mistake, especially when you dont understand anything about the NRA or even how to shoot a gun... "

" the owner of the gun is not to blame. he had it secured in HIS HOME. he didnt leave it laying on the curb. you people wanting to blame guns, the gun owner, the type of gun, blah blah blah, you all need to face the fact that this kid was responsible for his actions no one else. i sick of reading the liberal's gun control rhetoric when they refuse to take the time to understand what it is they're suggesting. "

" I think it is sad that this VERY TROUBLED kid didn't get the help he so desperately needed. I don't blame anyone for that, but it's still sad. He had a lot of problems and a lot of people died because of that. (I hate guns myself, but I don't blame the gun at all.) "

" I sad with family Dotson. they don't make problam. but want get and sad with this story. I would give everybody understand family Dotson. "

" If there's gonna be a lawsuit, it should be against the Russian government for their lack of restraint for allowing their arms to be sold to other nations and terror groups and then falling into the hands of the wrong people. Sue the Russians! it's all their fault! if they wouldn't have created the weapon, this would never have happened. "

" I'm laughing as I read these anti-gun comments. NONE of you know what actually makes a rifle an 'assault' rifle. Second, did you know that the AK-47 fires the same kind of ammunition as various hunting rifles? You all want to blame an inanimate object for this terrible tragedy. Would you all be whining about banning pickups if this kid had killed 8 people by running them down in the parking lot? Blame the shooter. Blame his family for not being there for him. Blame his surrogate family for not paying attention. Don't blame a tool that can't do anything on its own. "

" I am so sick of this "the gun didnt kill those people" "guns dont kill people" blah blah blah. Give me a break, yes that gun did kill those people, guns kill people!!!! Yes, it takes a person to hold the gun and aim and fire it. But it is the gun that did the killing with the help of its user. Cause and effect. Dont you notice a pattern in these horrific killings that continue in this country? We need to wake up and stop letting gun crazies make us feel bad about being MAD ABOUT THESE TYPES OF WEAPONS being allowed in this country.Enough is Enough!!! "

" The initial reaction to such an atrocity is typically one of profound shock. Gradually, however, this shock turns to anger — anger directed not so much against the dead perpetrator of the deed, but against the tool he used, (a gun) and inexplicably, the owners of other guns. Is it right to implicate anyone or anything other than the criminal in this type of incident? By the way, the Soviet Union hasn’t been the exclusive manufacturer of the AK47 for quite some time. It’s one of the most commonly reproduced firearms in the world. The only continent that does not have builders is Antarctica "

" punish the Gun owner - that the price you pay for leave your gun out of a safe. If we have laws to protect gun ownership we also need laws to protect mall shoppers and School kids. This is not Irac. "

" punishing the gun owner? he's a victim, this punk stole the gun. beside to punish the gun owner would be like trying to hold Ford Motor Company responsible for every fender bender. after all they made the vehicle. non sense. "

" If you're going to say something be sure what your saying is correct. Assault rifles are not legal. They were banned in 1934 then subsequently in 1986. The 1994 ban on certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines over 10 rounds expired in 2004, for the plain reason that it was ineffective and unconstitutional and the stupidest law ever written. Blame the NRA or the gun manufacturers all you want and put as many restrictions on guns you want. Then see what happens when a gang targets your home for a home invasion. You'll only have yourself to blame. "

" Yes, the kid shot the gun, so yes it's his fault. And yes, if there were less guns in the US, then there would also naturally be less shootings. Then, at least until the invention of the semi-automatic knife, less people would die. Whichever way you look at it, less guns is better. "

" Impeccable logic, that.. If there were less guns there'd be fewer criminals.. er.. WHAT?? It's nice WISHFUL thinking the idea that you may reduce crime by removing but one of the tools used in them, but sorry to say, the Gun EXISTS. Remove every existing firearm in the country (Can't be done) and next week you'll have home built (And UNTRACEABLE) guns hitting the criminal market. Ban Guns and you completely remove the ability to Control them and Trace them. You also will send the clear and strong message to the criminal "Nobody can defend themselves! Go Get 'Em!" Myself, I think there's QUITE enough of that message getting to them already. "