Just for the record, from today's Observer, I gather that under the German "strict gun control laws" the boy who did the killing was legally in possession of two short barrelled guns, and two long-barrelled guns, including a pump action shotgun. "He learnt to use them partly at the local police shooting association, of which he was a member."

The gun he actually used to do the killing was a pistol. He only to have been extremely methodical, and to have fired only 40 bullets in the course of the massacre. He had another 500 bullets with him.

Personally I'd sooner take my chances with a killer armed with a baseball bat.