Navy Yard shooting: Would an assault weapons ban have made a difference?

Many gun control advocates are pointing out that at the time he was killed, suspected Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis was armed with an AR-15 rifle. [Editor’s note, 9/17/2013: CNN’s Pamela Brown now says that according to the FBI field office, the suspected shooter didn’t use an AR-15.]

https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/379744807167340544
https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/379749140734828545

The gun used today in the #NavyYardShooting was an AR-15, the same gun used to kill the children in Newtown and the movie-goers in Aurora.

— Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) September 16, 2013

https://twitter.com/MMinhas/status/379737781951418369

https://twitter.com/debmorello/status/379737775878074368

So this guy had TWO previous gun arrests but still managed to get AR-15? America, you're so fucked up it's not even funny.

— Sarah WEAR YOUR MASK Littman ?? (@realsaramerica) September 16, 2013

To those hostile to Second Amendment rights, Alexis’ possession of an AR-15 demonstrates the need not only for universal background checks (which he surely would have passed) but also a nationwide “assault weapons” ban.

NBC News, however, is reporting that Alexis stole the AR-15 from a gun safe inside the Navy Yard:

Assault rifle in DC massacre taken from Navy base, shotgun purchased just weeks ago, law enforcement officials say http://t.co/xmmkyCeLkP

— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 17, 2013

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Others say he took the AR-15 from one of the police officers he shot.

Officials believe #NavyYardShooting suspect took both rifle and handgun from victims & used new weapons to continue rampage.

— Julian E. Barnes (@julianbarnes) September 17, 2013

If either of these reports is true — that is, if Alexis didn’t obtain the AR-15 until after his shooting rampage began — it seems obvious that an assault weapons ban would have made no difference whatsoever.

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Update:

CNN’s source says the AR-15 was purchased at a store prior to today’s shooting:
https://twitter.com/vplus/status/379786977547386880

Either CNN or NBC is going to have egg on its face.

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.

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Related:

No, universal background checks wouldn’t have stopped Aaron Alexis