Thorough background checks, longer waiting period should be enforced 
The Carolina Alert sent out last week about the gun incident in Maxcy College is the most recent of many warnings students have received about potentially dangerous and illegal gun possession. Fortunately for all of us here at USC, this particular situation was handled before anything else could occur. This, however, may not always be the case. While I do not protest the right to bear arms as declared by the Constitution, I do believe stronger restrictions should be put in place and enforced.
The state of South Carolina is considered a "shall issue" state, which means that as long as you do not fall under certain criteria, the state cannot deny you the right to purchase firearms. These restrictions state that the buyer must have no prior convictions of violent crime, must be 21 years of age and cannot be deemed medically incompetent. These loose restrictions allow purchase with little scrutiny other than a background check and the buyer's word that he or she is truthful in the application. The only way anyone would be made aware that a potential buyer has been deemed mentally unfit is if a judge had ruled it so. Otherwise a person could be under treatment and seriously ill yet still legally be allowed to purchase a firearm.
A waiting period, a method used by other states, would be one way to ensure that the seller has enough time to assess the buyer and guarantee he or she is mentally stable. This would allow time for mental health screening, whether that is determined through a psychological evaluation or researching medical records through a database. We are never going to completely eradicate illegal gun possession, but a more stringent screening process may identify potentially incompetent buyers. This kind of detail in evaluation could prevent such events as the shootings in Aurora, Colo., and at Virginia Tech. The shooter at the Aurora "Batman Massacre," James Holmes, was able to legally obtain 6,000 rounds of ammunition online and four guns locally. He abided by his state's regulations to purchase these guns. If some form of psychological evaluation had been performed prior to purchase, then there would be no chance the self-proclaimed "Joker" would have been deemed mentally competent to legally own firearms.
This is an issue that is not only relevant to our nation but one that has become increasingly relevant to our school and surrounding community. In the past few years, there have been reports of shootings and armed robberies in Five Points, in the Woodlands and even on campus. These locations are heavily populated by our neighbors and fellow students. Rigid laws and regulations will decrease the likelihood of these events while still allowing people to protect themselves appropriately.