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While I believe in the right to bear arms (and own several guns myself), just a few small points:

1.) More people would have survived the Virginia Tech shootings if college authorities had notified the entire campus after the first two people were killed. There was at least two hours between the first shootings in the dorm room (which killed two people) and the rest of the massacre. Campus officials thought it was a "boyfriend-girlfriend" dispute and were lax in informing the rest of the campus.

2.) If the Aurora movie theater EXIT doors had an alarm system on them notifying theater workers when someone leaves through the exit doors, maybe lives would have been saved. The exit doors, where the shooter's stuff was stashed, was just outside the theater's exit doors. When he left through the doors to retrieve his arsenal, there was no alarm signifying that someone had gone through those doors.

Also, the Aurora shooter had head-to-toe bullet-proof body armor, protective goggles, was tossing tear gas canisters throughout the theater, and had an arsenal the size of a small army. Anyone else in that theater who had a a gun didn't have a prayer of stopping the massacre or hitting the suspect once he started his rampage.

The Virginia Tech and Aurora shootings could have been prevented if proper, common-sense procedures were followed. Columbine could have been prevented if people in their respective jobs had paid attention (authorities were aware of Eric Harris' blog detailing his "hit list" and plans to blow up his school but did nothing about it).

I like the idea of having my gun handy in case of self-defense, I think others should have that opportunity as well, but let's be honest and realize that these types of events can be prevented beforehand if the proper authorities or parents did their job in the first place.