The Virginia Tech shooting on April 16 , 2007 again brought discussion of the gun show loophole to the forefront of U.S. politics , even though the shooter passed a background check and purchased his weapons legally at a Virginia gun shop via a Wisconsin-based Internet dealer . Previously , in December 2005 , a Virginia judge had directed the Virginia Tech gunman to undergo outpatient treatment , but because he was treated as an outpatient , Virginia did not send his name to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System ( NICS ) . On April 30 , 2007 , Tim Kaine , the Governor of Virginia , issued an executive order intended to prohibit the sale of guns to anyone found to be dangerous and forced to undergo involuntary mental health treatment . He called on lawmakers to close the gun show loophole . A bill to close the gun show loophole in Virginia was submitted , but eventually failed . Since then , Virginia lawmakers efforts to close the gun show loophole were continuously blocked by gun rights advocates . The Governor wrote : After the July 2012 Aurora shooting in Colorado , the October 2012 Azana Spa shootings in Wisconsin , and the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut , state and local debates regarding the gun show loophole resumed . After the Aurora shooting , then president of the NRA , David Keene , said that such tragedies are often exploited by the media and politicians . He said , " Colorado has already closed the so-called ' loophole ' and the killer did n't buy his guns at a gun show . " The handgun in the Azana Spa shooting was purchased legally in a private transaction , not at a gun show . The Sandy Hook shooter used weapons legally purchased by his mother
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Gun show loophole