Salem man charged under law strengthened after Tech massacre
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Salem man charged under law strengthened after...
Salem police charged Augustus Vaughn with having a gun despite a previous involuntary admission into outpatient mental health treatment program.A Salem man has been charged under a law strengthened by state legislators following the Virginia Tech massacre.
Augustus Vaughn has been charged with “purchase, possession or transportation of a firearm by persons involuntarily admitted or ordered to outpatient treatment program.“
State lawmakers amended the law in March of 2008, making it clearer and giving it more depth, according to prosecutors interviewed for this story.
Vaughn is also charged with stealing a laptop computer, a GPS device, an XM satellite radio, and altering the serial number from one of his guns.
Prior to the April 16th shootings, lawmakers found the looser law allowed Seung-Hui Cho to buy two firearms despite a previous involuntarily court-ordered commitment to a mental health facility.
Lawmakers said last year the amended law closed that loophole.
Salem police believe Vaughn is the first person they’ve ever charged under the amended statute.
Roanoke County police have only charged one person with the amended law since it went into effect in July 2008.
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Reader Reactions
This is good news for all of us, just knowing that a law has worked without taking away freedoms from the rest of us.
Kudos to the legislature and of course the law enforcement agencies involved.
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