Since the mid-1980s, the gun industry has embraced increased firepower and capacity to resell the shrinking base of gun buyers in America. In the 1980s, a very significant shift in gun design and marketing occurred: high-capacity semiautomatic pistols became the dominant product line. Formerly, the most popular handgun design was the revolver, most often containing six-shots.

In 1980, semi-automatic pistols accounted for only 32 percent of the 2.3 million handguns produced in America. The majority were revolvers. By 1991 this number had reversed itself with semiautomatic pistols accounting for 74 percent of the 1.8 million handguns produced that year.

Semiautomatic pistols fire one round of ammunition for each trigger pull. (Highly regulated fully automatic machine guns that fire continuously with one trigger pull are generally unavailable to the general public.)

The dominance of the semiautomatic pistol greatly increased the firepower in civilian hands. Not only are semiautomatic pistols capable of rapid fire, they utilize high-capacity magazines and can be quickly reloaded. The combination of these features makes semiautomatic pistols efficient killing machines.

Click here to see a chart and graph illustrating the shift from six-shot revolvers to high-capacity pistols: http://www.vpc.org/pistolvsrevolver.pdf

Click here to see current catalog copy for current models of both handguns: http://www.vpc.org/glock19.htm for Glock 19 catalog copy, http://www.vpc.org/waltherp22.htm for Walther P22 catalog copy.

Click here to see an excerpt from Violence Policy Center Senior Analyst Tom Diaz’s 1999 book Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America, detailing Glock’s history in the United States and select import numbers for the pistol: http://www.vpc.org/makglock.htm.

Since 1979, 7,031,596 22 caliber pistols have been produced in the United States, making the .22 the most popular pistol caliber produced in America during this period. Since 1979, 6,453,930 9mm pistols have been produced in the United States, making the 9mm the second most popular pistol caliber produced in America during this period.

Click here to see a chart detailing 9mm and .22 production: http://www.vpc.org/pistolproductionbycaliber.pdf

Click here to see the most recent data on the decline in gun ownership in the United States, contained in the April 2007 Violence Policy Center study A Shrinking Minority: The Continuing Decline of Gun Ownership in America: http://www.vpc.org/press/0704norc.htm

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working for a safer America through research, analysis, education, and advocacy.

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CNN has a breaking news headline:

The gunman in Monday’s Virginia Tech campus shootings has been identified as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a student and native of South Korea, campus police chief Wendell Flinchum said.

The gunman who opened fire in Virginia Tech’s Norris Hall, killing 30 people before turning the gun on himself, was “one of our students,” university President Charles Steger said Tuesday.

The shooter was an Asian male who lived in a Virginia Tech dormitory, the president said, declining to provide further details.

Steger added that he was still uncertain whether the gunman at Norris was the one who fatally shot two people in a dorm two hours earlier.

However, the president said he didn’t think a second gunman was on the loose.

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“The nation’s mayors express their deepest sympathy for the victims, parents, families, teachers and friends of the students killed yesterday at Virginia Tech University.

“April 16, 2007 is a national day of tragedy. Just as our country and our people united to address the reality of terrorism after the attacks of 9-11, we must unite now to address the reality of gun violence that continues to ravage cities, suburbs and rural areas alike.

“We need a common-sense approach to guns in America. We must keep illegal guns off our streets and away from children and criminals. We must allow the police to do their jobs and trace illegal guns. We must close the gunshow loopholes, which allow guns to be sold without background checks. And we must prohibit the sale of military-style assault weapons.

“At a time when crime is on the rise in our nation’s cities, mayors and police chiefs urge the federal government to stand with us to make our cities safer by restoring programs that have proven effective in the fight against crime.

“Congress and the President must act now. This cannot and must not be an issue of political grandstanding. Common sense action is possible. Our great nation has always risen to the major challenges it faces. Our leaders must rise now and act in the memory of those who have died, and all that mourn.”

The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,139 such cities in the country today. Each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. The primary roles of the Conference of Mayors are to promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy; strengthen federal-city relationships; ensure that federal policy meets urban needs; provide mayors with leadership and management tools; and create a forum in which mayors can share ideas and information. More information about the Conference is available at http://www.usmayors.org/.

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“This tragedy at Virginia Tech affects us all,” says Terry Hartnett, president of the Million Mom March of Northern Virginia. “It is such a heartbreaking commentary on American values. Money from special interest groups opposed to sensible gun-safety legislation seems to motivate our legislators more than the opportunity to make our universities, our local schools and streets safer for our children. We need some serious soul- searching by our elected officials,” she says.

The four Virginia chapters of the Million Mom March have been advocating for tougher gun-safety legislation in Virginia since the national group was formed in 2000. During the past legislative session, the Million Mom March chapters joined other gun safety groups in urging the Legislature to close the loophole in state law that effectively allows anyone to buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer at a Virginia gun show without having to go through a criminal background check. Like many other sensible gun safety bills introduced in the past seven years, the measure did not pass.

“It is far too easy for people to get their hands on dangerous weapons in this state,” says June Hazelhurst, president of the Richmond Chapter of the Million Mom March. “And the stakes are so much higher now that the federal Assault Weapons Ban has expired and criminals can get their hands on virtually any type of gun.”

Law enforcement officials do not know if the weapon used in today’s shooting was an assault weapon that would have been banned under this federal law. “One thing is certain — the VA Tech shooter had to have extraordinary fire power to do what he did,” says Jennifer Bergin, president of the Charlottesville MMM Chapter.

“As mothers, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” says Lorraine Price, president of the Hampton Roads MMM Chapter. Recalling the horror of Columbine High School that will be marked later this week, Price added, “It is totally unconscionable that nothing has been done in seven years to prevent another tragedy like this.”

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We extend deep condolences to the students, faculty and staff of Virginia Tech on the great loss of life today. The impact of this senseless tragedy will be felt throughout New River Valley, the state of Virginia and college campuses across the nation.

The campus shooting again brings issues of student safety to the forefront in America. Students feel scared and vulnerable, parents worry about their child’s safety, and entire communities are unsure where to turn for help.

We encourage parents, educators and community leaders across the country to reach out to your local mental health centers and addictions treatment providers. They are critical collaborators in supporting and educating those struggling in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Community behavioral healthcare providers are key members of our nation’s communities, serving as the safety net for those in need. In addition to traditional counseling and support services, these providers stand ready to assist in crisis; to support school personnel, faith groups and policymakers working to alleviate the fear and anxiety that follows a national tragedy and the ongoing media coverage that makes it so real and personal for each of us.

To locate a service provider in your community, contact the National Council at http://www.nccbh.org/ or 301-984-6200.

The National Council offers both national and local experts to help journalists better understand the impact of this tragedy and the long-term challenges facing Blacksburg and other college communities. Please contact Meena Dayak at 301-984-6200, ext. 228, or at MeenaD@nccbh.org for more information.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (http://www.nccbh.org/) is a not-for-profit association of 1,300 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addiction disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country.

Source: National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

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“I am deeply saddened and angered by these senseless acts of violence. My deepest condolences and prayers go out to those affected by this horrific crime, especially those who lost loved ones.

Americans can rest assured that law enforcement resources from the U.S. Department of Justice, including personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are actively assisting state and local authorities in investigating this tragedy.

We are committed to providing support and assistance to those authorities as well as to the victims of this crime for as long as necessary.”

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

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“We again offer our condolences to the families of the victims of this unconscionable act.”

Founded in 1872, the APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health providers, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health officials at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions.

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Diplomatic Reception Room

4:01 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Our nation is shocked and saddened by the news of the shootings at Virginia Tech today. The exact total has not yet been confirmed, but it appears that more than 30 people were killed and many more were wounded.

I’ve spoken with Governor Tim Kaine and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. I told them that Laura and I and many across our nation are praying for the victims and their families and all the members of the university community who have been devastated by this terrible tragedy. I told them that my administration would do everything possible to assist with the investigation, and that I pledged that we would stand ready to help local law enforcement and the local community in any way we can during this time of sorrow.

Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning. When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community.

Today, our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech. We hold the victims in our hearts, we lift them up in our prayers, and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering today.

Thank you.

END 4:03 P.M. EDT

Source: White House Press Office

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“Mass shootings have come to define our nation. Today’s shooting at Virginia Tech — the largest mass shooting in U.S. history — is only the latest in a continuing series over the past two decades. These tragedies are the inevitable result of the ease with which the firepower necessary to slaughter dozens of innocents can be obtained.

We allow virtually anyone the means to turn almost any venue into a battlefield. In the wake of these shootings, too many routinely search for any reason for the tragedy except for the most obvious — the easy access to increasingly lethal firearms that make mass killings possible.”

Prior Deadliest U.S. Shootings

The April 16 shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech where it is reported that 31 are dead and another 24 are wounded is the most deadly in U.S. history. The prior deadliest shootings in the United States are:

24 dead, 20 wounded
Luby’s Cafeteria
Killeen, Texas
October 16, 1991

22 dead, 19 wounded
McDonald’s Restaurant
San Ysidro, California
July 18, 1984

17 dead, 31 wounded
University of Texas Tower
Austin, Texas
August 1, 1966

15 dead, 23 wounded
Columbine High School
Littleton, Colorado
April 20, 1999

15 dead, 6 wounded
Edmond Post Office
Edmond, Oklahoma
August 20, 1986

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working for a safer America through research, analysis, education, and advocacy.

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“The thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with the Virginia Tech family today. As we learn more about this horrific tragedy – the deadliest shooting in our nation’s history – it breaks our hearts and shakes us to our very cores.

We pray for those who were lost and for the speedy recovery of the wounded. And we pray that America can find the strength to overcome our grief and outrage as we face this tragedy together.”

Source: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

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