The odds are very good that the weapon used to shoot and kill those young folks in Newark was originally sold in Virginia

Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group, said he was surprised that Virginia's guns were turning up in significant numbers in other states -- 530 in New York, 301 in North Carolina, 140 in New Jersey, 110 in Pennsylvania, and so on.

Surprised? WE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR YEARS. You just aren't trying to hear it.

Then there's that stupid Tiahrt Amendment  that specifically forbids using the data reported in this very article for law enforcement and crime prevention purposes.

In Study Of Gun Traffic, Va. Stands Out
By Allison Klein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 21, 2007; A01

Law enforcement authorities traced more than 10,000 guns recovered in Virginia, Maryland and the District last year -- and nearly half came from Virginia, according to federal data released yesterday.

Virginia also was among the top sources of guns recovered by authorities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina, the data show. In New York, more recovered guns came from Virginia than from any other outside state -- roughly one of 11 traced.

"Somebody coined I-95 'the iron pipeline,' " said Mike Campbell, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which released the report yesterday. "There's a lot of traffic moving up and down 95."

The ATF gathered information from police agencies across the country and compiled state-by-state reports detailing types of offenses and where firearms originated. The ATF traces nearly 300,000 guns a year to determine where they were sold to customers.

Most of the guns traced by the ATF came from the states where they were recovered, the agency said. The vast majority of guns tied to Virginia were also recovered there. But Virginia was the second-leading source for many other states along the East Coast.

Gun control advocates have complained for years that the state has fewer restrictions than other jurisdictions do. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) has alleged that illegal gun sales in Virginia contribute to crime in his city.

The ATF report does not provide breakdowns indicating how many of the traced guns were purchased legally. Authorities said the overwhelming majority of guns traced were used in crimes.