[Mrluvaluva]

From Sky News

In the state of Virginia, where the deadliest shooting in US history has taken place, buying a gun is easy.

Any state resident over the age of 18 can walk into a gun shop and purchase a weapon on the spot - subject to an instant criminal check.

And even individuals who fail the background check may buy a weapon if the sale takes place away from a licenced gun store.

No training or license is required to own a gun and there is no 'cooling off' period to help prevent crimes of passion.

Machine guns such as AK-47s and Uzis are as easy to buy as hunting rifles.

The seemingly lax gun laws of Virginia will be debated in the wake of the campus shooting, but there are many more US states where purchasing a gun is even easier.

The Brady Campaign lobby for gun control gives Virginia's gun laws a 'C minus' on a scale of A to F for the strength of control.

But 32 of 50 states are ranked D or F.

In New Mexico, rated F by the Brady Campaign, there are no restrictions on the number of guns state residents can purchase at any one time.

And in Wyoming, also rated F, it is perfectly legal to sell a handgun to a child.

Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign, said: "We've done nothing as a country to end gun violence in our schools and communities.

"If anything, we've made it easier to access powerful weapons."