But if troubled souls couldn't get hold of guns, then it is stupendously unlikely that this would happen.

As an aside how do you know someone is troubled until they crack and do something like this anyway???? How many times have you heard friends / neighbours of serial killers say "but he seemed so normal"

It's not as if they go around publicising their intentions weeks in advance on a cardboard placard is it?

But it seems less that that. I cant think off too many large scale shootings like Columbine or Virginia Tech, or Ft Hood or the others in Canada, Just the Ecole Polytechnique?

But the UK doesn't share a long, porous border with the USA.

It seems less but I'm not convinced it is - after all only 35 mill this side of the border and we're far more spread out

Across Canada, handguns remain the most common firearm seized in larger urban centres, whereas long guns are more prevalent in rural areas. The available data indicate that firearms choices vary according to the region of Canada, and are also influenced by availability within the rural or urban settings.

•In most parts of British Columbia, handguns are the most common illegal firearm; in large urban centres, the most common type of handgun seized is the semi-automatic pistol.

taken from Lancaster's weblink

True, but at this point after two centurys of gun ownership and a constitution that protects the right to bear arms, how on earth are you going to prevent them? You can make it illegal of course, but its not like the UK where there were relatively few guns to round up. There are so many guns out there that trying to control them is no minor challenge.

I suspect its easier to address why people want to shoot as school full of people and stop it happening at source...

From what Ive read of other atrocities, the signs are often there, with hindsite.

BBC: "24 year old Ryan Lanza killed his father at home before driving to the school and killing his mother, who works there."

I don't honestly think that would ever happen Iain. That means a total cotton wool society where everyones moves and motives are monitored constantly. Big Brother anyone?

So thats 10% of the expected random massacres? I dont think we are at that level, there have been a few gang related butcherings, but nothing comparable to this or columbine or Virginia tech other than the monreal massace that I know of anyway.

We are not really more spread out, statistically the pop density is lower, but in practice its not so different once you rule out the north, with the way the population lives along the border or in large cities.

Im just saying the help needs to be out there for those looking for it (or those suspected of needing it!), and the way that US society operates appears from the outside to make it less likely to be found there than here? Its just doesnt seem to be the US way to see someone with problems and to try to help them, thats too close to socialism!

Its a theory anyway... There needs to be a discussion on gun control too, but its going to be practically very difficult to make much impact in the US. There are just too many guns out there and they are too enshrined in US law for any sort of UK gun control to work.. and in Canada we have as many guns, but fewer issues with them, so something appears to be different. You have to accept that you cant stop every nutter getting hold of a gun and going postal, but there has to be some underlying reason it happens more in one society than another and perhaps that understanding can be used to try to influence things.

One of the worst places for random shootings seems to be Australia (worse than the US for its population), a macho society where people dont tend to discuss their feelings perhaps?

Time to watch bowling for columbine again?

Mandy you are starting to think like me stop it
That is exactly why people get pissed at us when we examine them as we have no idea who is normal and who isnt and might have a trunk full of guns.
Scenario with a normal traveller just last week albeit not guns involved.
Hi you have indicated on your declaration form you have $400 worth of goods with you what sort of goods are they.
Oh just clothing and tourist souveneirs.
Any alcohol or tobacco products?
Just one bottle and 1 carton.
Open up suitcase mmmm 4 bottles of rum and 6 x cartons.

Some people lie folks even when asked verbally or in writing.
And if you want a firearms example then read this article. Traveller was asked about firearms and he said NO.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...onviction.html

So maybe you might understand why we sometimes doubt if you are telling the truth or not as we dont know anything about you until we question you.
It aint rocket science.

Born to do this job me.

I would have thought that the choice of firearm depended on the intended usage. Handguns are for killing people, other types of firearms have a wider range of potential usage (killing animals, not just people). In rural areas there's a greater chance of wanting to kill animals so there will be more illegal weapons in cities than in the country.

I agree. You let people get away with an extra bottle of booze in their suitcase and before you know it they're shooting up a school. It's a slippery slope all right, and it's very important that you use stories about murdered children in another country nowhere near the border to highlight just how important your job is.