Where did they obtain the guns?

[cali]

That will be interesting to find out. And what guns did they have? Did they buy them illegally in MA? Did they go out of state, say to VT or NH? What they were armed with, how they got them and whether they were used in any other crimes could be revealing.

Also where did they get the explosive material.

[Electric Monk]

2. "hand guns and a rifle" is all I've been able to come up with so far

It's unclear whether the rifle was a Remington 700 or an AR-15 or what, but I'm inclined to think semi-auto with large detachable mags.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022724184

[mzmolly]

3. Gun show? Online?

[alsame]

4. CNN just reported that bomb materials were

purchased locally, guns were not. Waiting for more info on guns from officials.

It's CNN...take with a pound of salt.

[baldguy]

5. From a "law-abiding gun owner", obviously.

[underpants]

6. Thanks for asking - I will bet a $25 DU donation that it is Virginia

the "iron pipeline" is I95 from Virginia to DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston.

If I am wrong I will still make the donation. Marking cali to see where they are from --if it is ever reported.

[cali]

8. well, I'd rather that than this

story is a few years old, but nothing has changed:

A recent conference on illegal gun trafficking has put Vermont, along with the mayor of the state’s largest city, back in the crosshairs of an ongoing debate in New England.

The debate centers on this basic premise: Do Vermont’s lax gun laws contribute to crimes in other cities by encouraging illegal gun trafficking? According to top law enforcement officials, the answer is no.

Burlington Mayor Bob Kiss, a Progressive, attended a recent regional conference hosted by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, a Democrat, to talk about ways to stem the flow of illegal guns onto the urban streets of New England. Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York is also raising the issue nationally.

Kiss has raised some eyebrows among gun enthusiasts in Vermont who believe Boston’s constant finger pointing at Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine for having lax gun laws is a political smoke screen to force a debate on whether these states should enact stronger gun laws like Massachusetts. Boston has gone so far as to put up billboards along Interstate 93 laying the blame for illegal gun crimes squarely on Vermont’s doorstep.

<snip>

http://www.vermontguardian.com/local/122006/Guns.shtml

Here's a story from this year:

Most Vermonters visiting Boston are met by its iconic skyscrapers and historic charm. But there's another side to the city; 51 people were murdered in Boston last year, roughly 70 percent killed by guns. The Dorchester neighborhood was the most violent, with 17 murders.

"These mayors know the terrible toll that guns take in their communities," said Mayor Tom Menino, D-Boston.

Menino says Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are contributing to the problem. He's rallying mayors across the country to join a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Massachusetts already has some of the nation's toughest gun laws, yet violent crime remains high.

<snip>

In 2009, the coalition tracked how often guns purchased in one state were recovered from crime scenes in another state. Vermont ranked 16th nationally and topped every state in the Northeast, exporting more guns per capita than New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and New York.

<snip>

http://www.wcax.com/story/21053113/wcax-investigates-guns-and-drugs

[underpants]

23. I was not aware of that

thanks

[DonViejo]

7. Don't know "where" yet, Cali, but....

they weren't permitted....

Mass. police: Bomb suspects didn't have gun permit

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022730147

[geckosfeet]

9. How could they possibly have gotten them legally?

MA has very strict licensing requirements and you can'y buy a firearm without a license.

In any case, the younger brother is too young, and the older brother had a record of domestic abuse. They were both ineligible for licensing in MA.

[derby378]

10. Even in Texas, neither brother would have been able to acquire a gun

And the only guns we need permits for down here are guns on the NFA registry. This smells like a black-market deal to me.

[anneboleyn]

13. Yes. There are drug rumors floating around, and the guns could be drug-related if it turns out

to be anything genuine. I have seen here on DU and elsewhere rumors that the older brother may have been involved with drugs (dealing). He seems to have had a lot of money -- more than his family had -- for a guy with a wife and child and no job apparently. It seems he had a mercedes and liked expensive clothes and his boxing stuff wasn't cheap at all. And his best friend, his "only American friend," was killed in a drug-related crime:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/bombing-suspects-best-friend-was-victim-of-unsolved-triple-h

So who knows. A drug connection might explain where the guns came from.

[wercal]

11. Pure speculation on my part:

They didn't just randomly kill the police officer in his car - they killed him to get more firepower. They may have started out with a pistol...buy my guess is the long guns came from the police car.

[anneboleyn]

14. good point, I hadn't thought about that -- makes sense in the context.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. I'm guessing MIT police are not that well armed

The Watertown cops ran out of ammunition before these guys did. No doubt they grabbed his sidearm. I'd guess that was the only firearm he had in his possession.

[wercal]

20. I thought about that...

But its possible they were carrying additional weapons that night, since the manhunt was in full swing.

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. He was shot before it was an actual manhunt

They had released photos to the public, but there was no indication that there was anything of a manhunt going on until after the MIT cop, Sean Collier, was shot. The circumstances of his shooting further undermine the idea that he would have had extra guns due to a manhunt, since the two men (supposedly those being hunted!) are videotaped approaching his car, speaking with him for some short time, and only then shooting him. It doesn't sound like Officer Collier was participating in any manhunt at the time, much less loaded for bear.

I would be shocked if anything but Collier's sidearm came from the MIT police. I would not be shocked if even his sidearm wasn't taken (it hasn't been mentioned anywhere that his weapon was missing, I should note here).

[zbdent]

12. I've been hearing that all these "crimes committed by thugs with guns"

are because the guns were stolen.

And I had to think ...

Do we have an epidemic of unreported stolen guns?

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. That's just how the gunners, gun dealers, and gun manufacturers explain away the pipeline

They funnel guns on to the illicit market through any number of trafficking schemes, then throw up their hands about all the "stolen guns." It's a lot of horseshit put out by people who know damn well that some significant percentage of their income comes from black market sales. Who are these people? Pretty much anybody who sells or manufactures guns. There are no "innocent" gun dealers or gun manufacturers: they all funnel guns on to the illicit market. They're liars. And killers. For profit. So they pretend that there's an "epidemic" of stolen guns - pure nonsense. They're selling them directly to the black market dealers and shadow market reps and false buyers, and they damn well know it.

Why do they fight inventory control and tracking with every fiber of their beings? For "liberty?" Tell me another one. That's Brooklyn Bridge selling territory, bullshit-wise. It's because 25%-45% of their income is derived from illicit market sales. That's the only reason to fight inventory tracking and control. They're murderers.

[zbdent]

18. I also wonder how many of these "stolen guns" are reported ...

since, I would think, if a person was concerned about someone having stolen their guns, let alone the fact that they would have lost money on having LEGITIMATELY bought their guns (and gone through a background check, no less), then they'd want to make sure that the police were aware that there was some armed thief out there with THEIR GUN ...

[ThomThom]

17. I would also like to know who the women was that was following behind them

in the videos I saw. She was in several pictures walking just behind the guys and also had a back pack that looked heavy. Was she involved? Was there other bombs that did not go off? Many questions to be answered yet. Also how did they miss looking in the boat in the afternoon? Was that street searched?

[Mopar151]

19. I'd bet on 2 major possibilities:

A gun show in southern NH - http://www.dipromo.com/


Or using a "straw purchaser" at a small gun shop astride the NH/MA border. There are a LOT - a quick search shows 19 (!)
http://www.armsdealer.net/businesses/category/gun-shops/new-hampshire/salem?p=2
And I used to work in Salem - there are more that are not listed here, including the Salem NH Wal-Mart

from AR-15.com forum post: "Apparently Salem, NH Wal Mart is selling long guns and has an all new display - saw a DPMS AR10 sub1k and they have really decent prices on 10/22 and marlin 60s (both $227)and a few hunting rifles including the Ruger American in there"

Why not VT? These are 2 hours closer.

[Mopar151]

22. Explosives were gunpowder

"Black" powder is sold in every gun store, as "Muzzleloader" hunting is quite popular - extended season, can take 2nd deer, etc.
And many enthusiasts handload/reload their own ammunition - I have seen 50# "kegs" of shotgun powder on display, and it's not unusual for somebody to buy one - couple of my buddies went in on a "turret press" shotshell reloading machine backawhile, and I've carried a 5 gal. pail of shells along for an afternoon of shooting.