RIT senior faces gun charges

[armodem08]

Source: Democrat and Chronicle

(April 18, 2007) — A Rochester Institute of Technology student was arrested and suspended from classes after authorities discovered he had two assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition a day after the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

Jonathan Hackenburg, a 22-year-old engineering senior from Hackettstown, N.J., told Monroe County sheriff's deputies and campus safety officials he had a valid federal firearms license and purchased the weapons, a STAG-15 and another model similar to that used by U.S. military personnel, in his home state.

A university employee heard a suspicious sound at the RIT Inn and Conference Center on West Henrietta Road and alerted campus safety officials about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Finnerty said. Hackenburg admitted possessing the weapons after he was questioned.

Deputies recovered the rifles, which Hackenburg said he had just assembled, from his dorm room but did not find ammunition there, said RIT spokesman Robert Finnerty. Deputies later found more than 200 rounds of ammunition and four, 30-round magazines in his car, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Read more: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070418/NEWS01/704180340/1002/NEWS

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Yet another ticking time bomb...

[soothsayer]

1. Not necessarily. Could just be a gun-lover.

[Midlodemocrat]

2. Drats. The first round of arming all the college students

has a major glitch. Some people will think he's a killer. :sarcasm:

[Critters2]

3. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

When I was in grad school, this new student came to a "start of the year" party and, once he'd had a few, started telling us about the Luger he had in his dorm room. Naive soul that I am, I had no idea what a Luger was. But others knew, and contacted the Dean of Students the next day. Because the school (a theological seminary) had a strict no-gun policy, he was expelled.

I never even knew if he really had a gun or was just boasting. I mentioned this to the Dean (also one of my profs) and he said it didn't matter. The faculty decided it was safer not to have on campus someone who even talked like that.

Living in the same dorm with this guy, I heartily agreed.

[armodem08]

4. You're right. I shouldn't rush to judgement, but...

But he could also have been planning something similar to Virginia Tech. We don't know now. He could be innocent, legally "loving" his guns. But 2 assault rifles, 200+ rounds, four 30-round magazines have so few practical purposes.

edit: spelling

[Old and In the Way]

6. No, he was only planning to shoot the terrorist who might shoot-up the campus.

Or he was going to use them in self defense, to protect his dorm room. I'm sure this is totally legal and he is a law abiding citizen....until, of course, he isn't.

:sarcasm:

[Hawkeye-X]

8. Just don't blow up Tower A..

For those who were in RIT know what I am talking about.

[Berry Cool]

21. I hope that wasn't meant to be a joke about

deaf students not being able to hear the bullets.

[Show_Me _The_Truth]

20. 5.56 is hard to come by these days

He must have been getting near his time to stock up round count.

Good thing I've got my 4000 rounds in my safe. Of course, my "stock up" level is when I'm down to 2000.

[rodeodance]

5. yes. Everybody is so sensitive right now. Reminds me of post 9/11 when

every Muslim was a terrorist.

[Hawkeye-X]

7. Oy vey. I'm just glad I left RIT

in '96.

I had enough mental problems there - took me about 10 years of therapy just to get over what I experienced there.

Hawkeye-X

[iverglas]

9. a licensed firearms dealer

http://www.10nbc.com/news.asp?template=item&story_id=22280

and thus, by definition, a "law-abiding gun owner" ... except when he's breaking the law ...

"I know guns are illegal on campus, but he's a good kid. He's never done anything. I've never seen him, for as long as I've known him, do anything to hurt anybody," said Vona.

Someone who hasn't the basic common sense (a) not to break a major rule of conduct on campus, and (b) not to keep that sort of thing in a campus dorm room (doesn't strike me as a really secure place to store valuables, let alone valuables that are pretty attractive to a certain kind of person), just doesn't strike me as, well, you know, the right sort of person to have that kind of stuff.

"I heard this sound, of a weapon be racked and dry fired continuously," said White.
White knows that noise from being in the navy for four years. He says there's no way to describe it, he was just trained to know it. "It's the only thing in the world that really makes that sound. Wrong sounds, wrong place," said White.

But he was just minding his own business, playing quietly with his guns in the privacy of his own room. Why on earth would a facilities supervisor be concerned about that??

Oh, then of course there's:

http://www.whec.com/index.asp?template=item&story_id=22271

“He did indicate that he has federal firearms licenses in New Jersey and that he properly purchased these weapons. However, crossing the state line and possessing them in New York State is a violation of the law,” says Monroe County Sheriff, Patrick O’Flynn.

He was BREAKING THE LAW by possessing the fucking things (which he bought in another state) in the state where he was. I guess there's no basic knowledge test when you get one o' them licences. Not like, oh, driving, where they expect you to know things like what a speed limit is.

He was a law-abiding gun owner. Until he wasn't.

But wait for it. It's coming. I can hear it in the distance.

THEY WEREN'T ASSAULT RIFLES.

"Assault rifle" is a magical incantation that may be whispered only by those in the inner circle. It has a divinely ordained meaning that cannot be discerned by the uninitiated. It doesn't mean what you 'n me might think it means -- a rifle useful/used for engaging in assaults on people/places. Noooo. And those big dumb cops oughter know better, and somebody will be here shortly to tell 'em so. And this will change the whole nature of the situation, you'll see.

[Irreverend IX]

10. You might have figured out the meaning of "assault rifle" by now...

If you weren't being intellectually dishonest beyond all belief. Per the BATF and Department of Defense, one of the defining features of an assault rifle is the ability to be set to fire more than one shot per trigger pull. The rifles in question were semiautomatic only. That's the difference.

[iverglas]

13. there we are!

Whew, I was almost thinking my crystal ball had failed me.

E Plebnista, as was said to James T Kirk. The holy words have been spoke by one of the initiate. My powers of prediction are intact.

[Irreverend IX]

15. I trust you will never again...

Express confusion as to the definition of "assault rifle:" a carbine rifle that fires an intermediate cartridge with the capacity for selective fire (burst fire and/or full auto). Because I'm sure you're the last person who would ever stoop to intellectual dishonesty in an argument.

[iverglas]

16. I trust you aren't alleging

that I expressed any such confusion. Because I'm sure you're the last person who would ever stoop to intellectual dishonesty in an argument.

[iverglas]

17. oh, p.s.

Did you really want to be so predictable, and just stick to form over substance? There was substance in my post.

As long as I'm back -- when you said you trusted I would "never again" do X, didya not want to specify when I did X the first (or second or third) time? Just for those of us who might have missed it, but be taking your word for the fact that it happened?

[Demeter]

11. A Voice of Reason! Thank You!

I appreciate your ability and willingness to clearly and simply state the facts. If no one else will praise your clear intelligent mind, I will. I know how little such exposition is supported by the fanatical gun affiliates, even on this site.

[iverglas]

14. oh pshaw

Feel free to visit the gun dungeon, you. Everybody can use practice, and there's lots of it to be had there. No end of "spot the fallacy" to be played, "debunk the fake statistics for the brazillianth time" to be done. I've found it boring lately, and then of course my accountant's been nipping at my heels ...

[Irreverend IX]

12. I doubt he was planning anything.

His "arsenal" and ammo collection are pretty small, and most mass shooting psychos don't get FFLs, which require a massive background check and a long wait while the BATF processes your application. The fact that he had such a license indicates that he had an interest in the technical side of guns far above and beyond most nutcases, who usually just get whatever weapons they think will do the greatest amount of damage the fastest. For a homicidal psycho to be that deep into rebuilding and customizing guns would be kind of like a suicide car bomber rebuilding a classic car to carry out his mission.

Long story short, this wouldn't have freaked people out so much if the VA shooting hadn't just happened. Guy picked the wrong time to get found out owning guns in his dorm. Yes, guns are prohibited in most school dorms... then again, so are drugs. Students who own either often disregard the rules and don't often get caught.

[salin]

18. at the least, he exhibited that a) he has no sense or b) he

is completely oblivious of the news. Not to swift to pull out such a weapon around campus just days after the shooting.

[jody]

19. For what purpose was the FFL issued, collector? n/t