Report: Texas Mall Shooter Bought Guns Legally ‘over Time’

CNN reported that the guns used by the attacker at the Allen, Texas, outlet mall Saturday were legally purchased “over time.”

Breitbart News noted that the 33-year-old attacker was armed with a handgun and a rifle during the attack and that other guns were found in his car.

CNN specified that law enforcement indicated the rifle was an AR-15-style firearm. The AR-15 and other firearms were purchased legally, some from private sellers.

It was legal to purchase guns from private sellers when the Second Amendment was ratified in 1791, and it has remained legal in the majority of states for 232 years, Texas included.

An important facet of the attacker’s firearms acquisition is that he got them “over time.” He did not purchase the firearms in a hurry.

The law enforcement source told CNN, “This was not an instance where he rushed to buy weapons prior to the attack.”

Breitbart News pointed to an ABC News report noting that the 33-year-old was removed from the Army in 2008 “due to mental health concerns.” However, the New York Post observed that he underwent “several firearms proficiency courses in 2015 and 2018 as part of his security guard work.”

The UK Independent explained that the 33-year-old attacker became a “commissioned security officer in April 2016.” He maintained the license until 2020.

Related: Restaurant Worker Ushers Mall Goers Out the Back Door During Allen Shooting

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.