dutchguy comments

Both an assault rifle and a submachine gun are automatic weapons - "machine guns" in the common venacular. An assault rifle has selective fire - it can be switched between semi-automatic and full automatic. Other machine guns only fire in full auto

True, but if what's the story says is actually true, that he had a permit for the weapon used in the killings, then it can't have been a machine gun, or it would have to be one that has the ability to fire in full auto removed (nothing that can't be undone of course) because no way he would have gotten a permit for it otherwise.

What everybody seems to be missing is that the latest tragedies have happened in countries with strict laws banning weapons, licensing others, etc. Maybe the laws don't stop the kooks?

So true an also so sad. People doing these kind of weird things or any other kind of "work" requiring a gun can get them anywhere without problem. The only people NOT being able to get them are the ones that won't use them for anything else then having a little fun in the backyard. There's no law that can ban guns entirely; they will always be used for things that are by itself already forbidden by law anyway.....