Hawaii's Star Bulletin: Ban .50 Caliber guns because of Northern Illinois University Shooting

I suppose that it is not too surprising that the proposed law has nothing to do with the attack that is being used to spur action, but it is still surprising that they would want to ban a gun that had absolutely to do with this attack. In addition, the gun has never been used to murder someone in the United States. Anyway, here is the story:

As students returned to campus at Northern Illinois University yesterday following the deadly shooting rampage of Feb. 14, a bill that would ban civilian possession of a made-for-war sniper rifle lies dormant in the Hawaii Legislature. Lawmakers should enact the bill to prevent a shooting incident of potentially huge proportions.

NIU graduate student Steve Kazmieczak's killing of five students and wounding of 16 before turning the gun on himself brought horrific recollections of the killing of 33 students and faculty at Virginia Tech less than a year ago. Campus officials across the country are looking again at measures aimed at preventing similar disasters.

Police Chief Boisse Correa is asking the Legislature to ban possession of .50-caliber sniper rifles in the islands. Those 28-pound rifles -- the most common manufactured by Barrett Co. -- were described in a 1999 congressional Government Accountability Office as "among the most destructive and powerful firearms sold legally in the United States." . . .