Blacksburg Protesters Arrive in Richmond, Bill Fails (Video Included)

A bill brought before the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia Senate attempted to close a gun show loophole. As it stands, the loophole allows unlicensed sellers to sell fire arms at gun shows without performing a background check.

If the bill passed, every vendor, licensed or unlicensed, would have to perform a check on each individual before releasing the gun to be sold.

The bill went to the Virginia House of Delegates on Jan. 18 and failed. In addition, the bill failed in the Virginia Senate on Jan. 23.

Families of the April 16 shooting victims and other supports gathered around the lawn in front of the capital building to bring attention to the consequences of a deviant individual obtaining a firearm.

Thirty-two of the protestors lay on the ground to represent the 32 students killed while others gathered around them.

Many of them held signs to show their opinions including on man holding a sign saying, “Here lie disarmed victims.” Others stood in tears remembering what was lost and what could come in the future.

Delegate Dave Nutter, a Virginia Tech faculty member, said that hearing the concerns of the families did not impact his decision to voted against closing the loop hole. “I believe that April 16 was a mental health issue,” said Nutter.

However, he did sympathize with the protesters’ points of view saying that it is hard for them to wrap their minds around to their family members deaths and he knows they are trying to prevent a similar event.

Nutter does not expect Blacksburg protestors to arrive in Richmond again concerning this bill.

The bill will be sent to the Crime Commission made up of both Virginia House of Delegates members and the Virginia Senate members. However, according to sources at the capital the bill will not be brought to the table until next year.