PSH in MA? Water *Is* Wet!

Couple folks have sent me this story:

UMass Law student charged with possessing AK-47, pistol

A 26-year-old University of Massachusetts School of Law student was arraigned today on a variety of firearms charges for allegedly possessing an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm pistol, Dartmouth police said.

John Ethan Cassidy moved to the area in August 2010, police said in a statement. He was arrested at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday as he left the law school building, police said in a statement.

The story is predictably light, but does mention three things that significantly lessen my sympathy for Mr. Cassidy:

1. He has an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Texas;
2. He assaulted his roommate; and
3. He never bothered to check the gun laws in MA before he moved.

You see, even if he had gotten the MA permit, the AK-clone and (most likely) the magazines for the Taurus were illegal for him to possess in MA even with the proper permit. From the tiny picture they show, it's either an underfolder AK (verboten under the MA AWB) or one of the AK pistols (also illegal under the MA AWB). Had he taken a few moments to research MA gun laws, he would have found out that the rifle was not allowed, nor the post-ban full capacity magazines.

We don't like the laws, no; but we certainly have to abide by them. Especially if you're going to be getting in knockdown, drag-out fights with your roommate - see, there's that "don't be a dick" thing again... Now, granted, it's possible that the warrant from Texas was for something small, like an unpaid speeding ticket, that might not have affected his ability to own a firearm. It's also possible that the discord with the roommate was not the fault of Mr. Cassidy. However, not reading up on MA gun laws - especially when you're in MA for law school - is simply inexcusable.

When you go to live outside of America, you ignore the laws of the land at your own peril...

That is all.

UPDATE: PISSED sends along this link. Apparently Mr. Cassidy could not have gotten a MA LTC, as he was a prohibited person. This makes it even doubleplus ungood for him in MA - he's a wanted felon for gun violations, and he brings guns into MA??? FAIL.