The 36-year-old gunman who killed seven people and wounded 22 others in West Texas on Saturday purchased his AR-style rifle from a private seller, federal law enforcement sources confirmed to CBS News. The purchase allowed the gunman to evade a federal background check. Sources also say the gunman was previously denied a gun purchase because he was determined to be mentally unfit.
The investigation into who sold the weapon is ongoing. Authorities said the gunman was killed by officers outside a busy movie theater in Odessa. It was at least the 38th mass killing this year.
Online court records show the gunman, identified as Seth Aaron Ator, was arrested in 2001 for a misdemeanor offense that would not have prevented him from legally purchasing firearms in Texas.
Read more at cbsnews.com
