BEECH GROVE -
One of the most stunning revelations to come out of the case against Colorado shooting John Holmes, is how heavily armed the suspect was when he carried out the attack.
Holmes had four high-powered guns, 6,000 rounds of ammunition, and advanced body armor for protection if police fired shots at him. Eyewitness News wanted to know how easy it is for one of your neighbors to buy thousands of rounds of ammunition.
In Indiana, to buy any type of ammunition, you have to be 18 years old. If you are buying in large quantities and walk into a gun store, you better have your story straight, according to the owner of Beech Grove Firearms Greg Burge.
"Here at this store, and I would assume at others, if our sales clerks or any of us detected something is afoot here that's not right, everybody has the right to stop the sale immediately," Burge said.
Eyewitness News found it is the human element that is missing when ammunition is bought online.
We checked three popular online ammunition sites, the first one allowed us to order 6,000 rounds of ammunition for an AR -15, the same rifle Holmes used when he shot dozens of people in a Colorado movie theater. The site allowed us check out as a guest and we didn't have to prove our age or identity.
It was the same with another popular online site, so we called to make sure we were following the rules. A recording told us, if we were in New Jersey or Illinois, they could not ship there, but nothing about Indiana. The site also offered to ship the ammunition in a plain brown box, as a safety options.
The last site we called, which claims to be largest online ammunition site, did require that we register as a member. They also required we answer a number of questions and again, we called customer service to make sure we were following the rules. A representative from the company said we needed to mail or fax a copy of a drivers license to verify our age and identity.
Online ammunition sales laws are made by each state. Indiana's laws mirror those of brick and mortar stores, with one exception.
"I have the ability to ask questions," Burge said.
As for the advanced body armor Holmes was wearing in his rampage, in Indiana, any law-abiding citizen can buy body armor without restriction.
Retailers can ask questions if someone buying ammo doesn't seem right.
Some websites allow buyers to purchase ammunition with no questions asked.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTHR. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
