| November 6, 2009 AP Sources: Rampage gun purchased legally
|
WASHINGTON (AP) - A 5.7-millimeter pistol used in the Fort Hood
shooting was purchased legally by suspect Nidal Hasan at a Texas
gun shop, law enforcement officials said Friday.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were
not authorized to discuss the case.
Records indicate Hasan bought the FN 5.7 at store called "Guns
Galore" in Killeen, Texas, well before the attack that left 13
people dead, one of the officials said. The pistol has been dubbed
a "cop killer" by those who have tried to stop its use.
Army officials said Hasan also was carrying another handgun.
One of the law enforcement officials said that gun was an older
model Smith & Wesson .357-caliber revolver, but the official added
there's nothing so far to indicate the second weapon was fired. The
official said the revolver was so old, investigators doubt it could
be traced to a specific purchase.
The most powerful type of ammunition for the FN 5.7 gun is
available only to law enforcement and military personnel. Gun
control advocates call it a "cop killer" weapon because that ammo
can pierce bulletproof vests, and its use by Mexican drug cartels
worries police.
It is not clear what kind of ammunition was used in the Fort
Hood attack.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, as well as the Texas Rangers have interviewed store
personnel about Hasan's gun purchase. One official said the store
records do not indicate
