by Chris Cannon
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado has prompted many people to look at the difference between gun laws in Colorado and Tennessee.
Colorado law does not allow a person to take a weapon into entertainment venues such as a movie theater.
"The statute of Tennessee allows you to carry the gun anywhere, in any place that you want to, other than the places that are written into the law that are prohibited," said gun expert Buford Tune.
Individual businesses can opt out of that law and prohibit weapons on their property by posting the ban.
"The posting has a two-fold, a double-sided coin. It also tells people, like this guy in Colorado, nobody in here's got a gun, nobody can carry a weapon in here so I'm he only guy here that can do anything and nobody's going to stop me," Tune said.
Friday's tragedy in Colorado sparked a conversation between Tune and others as to whether another armed person inside that theater would have made a difference.
"There's always that chance that a person in there, that is properly trained with a gun, could have done something. I'm not saying they could, but it's a possibility they could have," Tune explained.
A mass shooting like the one that took place at the Colorado theater will spark debate between gun advocates and gun opponents. Tune takes the stance it is not the guns that kill people, it is the person with the gun.
"This guy didn't care. Guns or no guns, you can ban all you want to. People like that are going to come up with an excuse, they're going to come up with an item and they're going to go after that person one way or another," Tune said.
Reports state the suspect in the shooting, James Holmes, purchased his gun through a gun store and 6,000 rounds of ammunition from an on-line dealer.
email: ccannon@newschannel5.com
