Claudette Roulo - 4
WASHINGTON, April 4, 2014 – The Defense Department does not support allowing its personnel to carry weapons on military installations, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said.
“The department took a close look at this after the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood and again after [last year’s] Washington Navy Yard shooting,” Warren said.
Such a move would create a number of complications, he said, not the least of which is safety.
“Another reason is the … prohibitive cost of the training, the qualification requirements [and] recertification,” the colonel said.
There are legal obstacles as well, he said. Local, state and federal policy requirements pose numerous challenges.
Warren pointed at the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968, which makes it illegal for persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes to possess firearms or ammunition, as one example. Service members convicted of such crimes may continue to serve under certain circumstances, but still are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Investigators are looking for potential gaps in the mental health care system or in security procedures, Warren said. One aspect of the investigation will cover whether red flags were raised about the alleged shooter by mental health professionals, he noted.
“It’s entirely too early to make a judgment. … We have to let the investigation unfold, and then we have to examine what we can do better,” he said.
“The department took a close look at this after the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood and again after [last year’s] Washington Navy Yard shooting,” Warren said.
Such a move would create a number of complications, he said, not the least of which is safety.
“Another reason is the … prohibitive cost of the training, the qualification requirements [and] recertification,” the colonel said.
There are legal obstacles as well, he said. Local, state and federal policy requirements pose numerous challenges.
Warren pointed at the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968, which makes it illegal for persons convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes to possess firearms or ammunition, as one example. Service members convicted of such crimes may continue to serve under certain circumstances, but still are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Investigators are looking for potential gaps in the mental health care system or in security procedures, Warren said. One aspect of the investigation will cover whether red flags were raised about the alleged shooter by mental health professionals, he noted.
“It’s entirely too early to make a judgment. … We have to let the investigation unfold, and then we have to examine what we can do better,” he said.
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