Note to both presidential candidates as they pursue votes in the swing state of Virginia: don’t overlook the automatic-weapons enthusiasts! The state leads the nation in ownership of legally purchased, registered machine guns, the Roanoke Times reports. Some 30,200 fully automatic weapons are in the hands of the state’s eight million people – a total higher than any other state, including second and third place holders Florida and California, which both have far larger populations.
Not that local law enforcement are particularly concerned. “Why do we have so darn many in Virginia? Who knows?” Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, shrugged to the Times.