Suspect's Gun Was 'Pieced Together' in Santa Monica Shooting Rampage

Yes, and California bans "semiautomatic firearms" (which leftists falsely label "assault weapons").

And still, suspect John Zawahri was undeterred.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Santa Monica shooter's rifle appears to have been pieced together":

#SMC UPDATE: SM police laid out evidence found on suspect's body; news conference planned for approx 1pm twitter.com/ABC7/status/34…
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 8, 2013

The semiautomatic weapon used in the Santa Monica shooting rampage appears to have been put together from various parts, possibly in an attempt to circumvent the state's restrictions on such guns, law enforcement sources said Wednesday.

While certain types of AR-15-style rifles are banned in California, it's legal to purchase parts that can be used to assemble and customize the guns. Santa Monica police have said John Zawahri, 23, used an AR-15-style gun during the attack and was also carrying a .44-caliber handgun.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing, said detectives are still trying to figure out how the gun was put together and whether Zawahri obtained it whole or assembled it himself.

Zawahri killed five people last Friday in an attack that started at his father's home and ended at Santa Monica College, where police fatally wounded him in the school's library.

Sources said Wednesday that Zawahri fired about 100 rounds during the rampage, which lasted about 10 minutes. He fired at passing cars, a bus, pedestrians as well as police. Authorities have said he had access to more than 1,300 rounds of ammunition.

Santa Monica Police Department investigators, working with the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the California Department of Justice, are now trying to trace where the parts came from.

Zawahri's rifle appeared to be modified so it could fire more rounds, the sources said. Police said he had 40 magazines capable of holding 30 rounds each during the rampage.

California outlaws the commerce of AR-15 weapons that have certain features, including a detachable magazine, which allows sustained firing. Other features include folding telescopic or detachable stocks or a threaded barrel.

Purchase, sale and transfer of high-capacity magazines is illegal, but currently possession of the items is not.

And of course, despite all this, Sen. Barbara Boxer cravenly announced that the Santa Monica massacre gives us "wind at our backs" for even more ineffective gun control legislation.

Actually, the suspect had "psychiatric issues." Maybe Sen. Babs ought to be working on that.