Florida: A Madman’s Deadly Spree

Construction worker James Pough did more than kill ten people and wound seven in Jacksonville last week. He also shot holes in the gun lobby’s rationale for opposing even modest efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of violent criminals.

In 1971 Pough pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of a man. Yet he was able to buy the two handguns and acquire a 30-cal. assault-style rifle that he used in his murderous rampage.

The National Rifle Association has urged voters to reject a bill that would require a three-day waiting period to check the background of potential gun purchasers. If such a check had uncovered Pough’s criminal record, he would not have been able to buy the guns he used last week. Asking gun buyers to wait a few days to complete their purchases seems eminently reasonable if it helps prevent madmen like Pough from going off on homicidal binges.