The Weapons Holmes Used And How He Bought Them - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

Story by Eli Stokols, FOX 31 KDVR Denver

The entire nation is focused on Colorado after a gunman, believed to be a brilliant, 24-year-old loner named James Holmes, opened fire on moviegoers just after midnight Friday morning, killing 12 people and wounding 58 others.

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But when Holmes, just last May, walked into the Bass Pro Shops store in Northfield and walked out with a glock handgun and 870 Winchester shotgun, no one thought much of it.

The guns are commonly sold over the counter to anyone who passes a CBI and FBI background check, as Holmes, who has just a traffic offense on an otherwise spotless criminal record, did.

"Based on the records we have reviewed, personnel in our Denver store correctly and fully followed all Federal requirements with respect to the sale of one shotgun and one handgun to the individual identified in this incident," said a statement released by Bass Pro Shops. "Background checks, as required by Federal law, were properly conducted, and he was approved."

Holmes purchased a third weapon, a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle, at the Gander Mountain store in Aurora just a mile from the movie theater where he allegedly mowed down dozens of unsuspecting moviegoers.

That, too, was bought over the counter, after Holmes passed a background check.

"In 95 percent of all gun-related crimes, the guns are bought illegally, not over the counter," said Richard Taylor, a manager at The Firing Line, a gun retailer in Aurora. "This appears to be the rare exception."

According to Taylor, all three of the weapons are commonly sold over the counter; the shotgun, a favorite of those looking to protect their home; the AR-15, a weapon used by small game hunters and shooting enthusiasts; and the glock perhaps the most commonly-used gun by law enforcement officers on the street.

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