Gun dealer wants more guns on campus

GREEN BAY, Wis., March 5 (UPI) -- The dealer who sold a pistol to the Virginia Tech killer and accessories to the Northern Illinois University killer says there should be more guns on campuses.

"Otherwise, it's 'Welcome to your killing spree,' " Eric Thompson told the Los Angeles Times. "Because there's nothing to stop these shooters."

Thompson began his business in 1999, selling weapons on line from a spare room in his house and using his garage as storage. He now has a showroom in Green Bay, Wis.

After both the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois shootings, Thompson received hate mail and e-mail and angry telephone calls. The windows of his building were spattered with eggs after Cho Seung-hui killed 32 students and teachers at Virginia Tech, armed with a pistol purchased online from Thompson.

At least 14 states are considering laws that would allow students and teachers to carry handguns. Opponents of those laws point out that even police officers miss their targets four out of five times.

"If a bad guy comes in, everyone always wishes there were the John Wayne hero in the classroom to respond," Paul Helmke of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "But that's really hard to pull off."