From the Independent Review:

A measure proposed in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting designed to prevent the dangerously mentally ill from buying guns is headed to Gov. Mike Easley.

The bill _ which the House unanimously approved Thursday _ requires court clerks to report to a federal database the names of people who have been involuntarily committed to mental health treatment because they pose a threat to themselves or others. Those who have been acquitted by reason of insanity or deemed mentally incompetent for trial also must be reported.

That FBI-maintained database _ the National Instant Criminal Background Check System _ is used by gun vendors when conducting background checks on would-be gun buyers. People on the list are denied weapons.

“We need to be aware of the less fortunate members of our society who are in need of help, and to protect them against themselves and also to protect those of us who are out here,” said Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland.

Rand said the April 2007 Virginia Tech shooting “rather forcefully” prompted officials to act.

Shooter Seung-Hui Cho was able to purchase guns in Virginia despite being involuntarily committed to outpatient therapy by a judge.

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