Details of Oregon mall gunman's last hours emerge

[ellisonz]

Jacob Tyler Roberts killed two people and himself at a mall outside Portland in December. Police reports and witness accounts reveal an odd confession and capture the outlines of a dark side he hid.

By Matt Pearce

May 4, 2013, 10:00 p.m.

He left no angry manifesto. The last night he was alive, Jacob Tyler Roberts stayed up late drinking and shooting pool with a buddy.

Roberts told his friend Sean Cates that he needed a gun, but he didn't say why. The pair, hanging out in Portland, Ore., smoked pot, got drinks from a 7-Eleven and ended up at a Denny's at 3 a.m.

The two crashed at Cates' apartment, and when Cates woke up, Roberts was gone — along with Cates' AR-15 rifle.

By the time Cates rose from bed at 4 p.m. Dec. 11, three people were already dead at the Clackamas Town Center mall outside Portland.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mall-shooter-20130505,0,6423805.story

An unlocked AR-15 - what could go wrong? Furthermore, this individual was able to buy multiple high-capacity magazines and ammunition without having to show so much as legal proof of gun ownership.

[Bay Boy]

1. Have any recent proposals included...

..a requirement of proof of gun ownership prior to purchasing ammunition or a magazine?

I do agree that the owner of the gun has some responsibility for allowing access to his gun to this guy.

[ellisonz]

3. Here's a good summary of the state of such laws:

http://smartgunlaws.org/americas-ammunition-crisis-few-laws-exist-to-prevent-purchases-by-dangerous-people-online-and-in-stores/

I'm sure you're capable of using Google to dig up more recent news if you'd like.

[treestar]

2. I wish Cates had called somebody

or done something. Rather than stay in bed until 4 p.m.

Yeah one should lock ones guns up if there are kids or not-so-well known friends around. You never know who is going to be the crazy one.