Clarifying Colorado gun laws after the Aurora theatre shooting

Jul 202012

By Nic Turiciano
July 20, 2012 | Updated on: July 24, 2012

Denver capital Clarifying Colorado gun laws after the Aurora theatre shooting — Colorado Capitol (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

James Holmes, the 24 year-old former PhD student accused of opening fire on a theatre full of movie goers early this morning, allegedly possessed four firearms with him during the attack. 9News Denver is reporting that Holmes purchased the weapons legally, but what exactly are Colorado’s gun laws?

In order to purchase a firearm, individuals must possess a state issued identification that provides a photo, name, address and date of birth.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado residents may not purchase a firearm if he or she:

Has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
Is a fugitive from justice.
Is a unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.
Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution.
Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the U.S. or an alien admitted to U.S. under a nonimmigrant visa.
Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.
Having renounced their citizenship to the U.S.
Is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing , stalking, or threatening an intimate partner; or
Has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. [18 U.S.C. 922(g)]
Was adjudicated as a juvenile for an act that would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult.

Colorado allows individuals to transport firearms, loaded or unloaded, in their automobiles. According to the Colorado State Patrol website, local jurisdictions may not enact any laws restricting a person’s ability to transport their firearm.

The CSP website also states that, “you cannot carry the weapon concealed on or about your person while transporting it into your home, business, hotel room, etc.”

The state of Colorado also prohibits gun registration.

“I do think that we have good gun laws in Colorado that protect our citizens because they require background checks and waiting periods before someone can get a gun in hand,” said B.J. Nikkel, Colorado State Representative, District 49. “This guy in aurora passed the background checks because he didn’t have a criminal past. Unfortunately I think there are people in this world who are evil and choose to do evil things.”

Clarifying Colorado gun laws after the Aurora theatre shooting

About Nic Turiciano

Content Managing Editor Nic Turiciano is a senior journalism major. He writes about music, film, pop culture and all things associated with leisure. He began at the Collegian in the fall of 2009, is the former local director for 90.5 KCSU Fort Collins and contributor for www.theawl.com. He can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.

http://www.facebook.com/mark.cook.5249 Mark Cook

If they would have let wepons into there building. Maybe one or two people could have return fire and stop it before 12 was dead. If you think a ban on guns would work. Look at the number of guns that they can’t count for. All a ban would do is give evil people a run wild card. Am so happy my boss lets us carry if we have a CCW. Am a plumber and have to go into some rough places. I can say for sure my gun saved me once. He was quick to give up when cops got there. I wonder why maybe because cops have guns also. If you are a LIB think hard about your wish to ban guns. Look at countrys and history of gun controls. Just don’t think it will work with out all the info you need too make the right choice. This is a problem that feeling can’t get in the way of.
God bless the faimlys that have to go thru this. I hope this man who did this rots in hell.
Paul

You address only Colorado laws and ignored the city of Aroura’s laws on carrying a weapon. They are very restrictive. The question should not be about the legality of of Holmes’ purchase rather could one of the 200 people in that auditorium have stopped it all, especially when his weapon jammed, had they not been following the cities gun laws which prohibit even licensed carrying of a firearm. Stats show over 30% of Americans own legal firearms. Where we’re they last Friday. Even if we presume only 3% of those have CCW permits, 6 people should have been able to stop that madman. Or were they following the law while 12 people died and 58 were injured?
https://plus.google.com/u/0/107418054739711167675 Rand Wilson

Another shooting today in Aurora Colorado today (Jan 5 2013) – As @dca005af4af2add29e90e72d2730c11d:disqus already pointed out, the very strict laws about carrying or discharging firearms didnt slow down the theater guy or the guy that did the shooting today.
The tiny detail that so many people seem to not be able to grasp is that bad guys and evil people dont really care about the laws. It’s the law abiding citizens that end up being “fish in a gun-free zone barrel”