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The man accused of killing two Athens police officers was able to purchase a rifle on Christmas Eve despite a history of mental problems, authorities said.
Nine days later, Farron Barksdale, 29, used the SKS rifle to kill officer Tony Mims, 40, and Sgt. Larry Russell, 42, when they responded to his 911 call, according to Athens police.
Barksdale, charged with six counts of capital murder, has been involuntarily committed to mental health institutions at least twice, Sheriff Mike Blakely told The Decatur Daily in a story Wednesday.
To buy the gun, Barksdale had to fill out a federal questionnaire, including this question: "Have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective ... or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?"
"Of course you can lie about that if you want to. The dealer has no way of knowing if you're lying or not," said James L. Moses, president of the Alabama State Pistol and Rifle Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.
The Decatur Daily reported that Barksdade bought the gun at Larry's Pistol and Pawn in Huntsville. Store owner Larry Barnett declined to confirm or deny that Barksdale made such a purchase.
FBI special agent Kimberly Freeman of Birmingham said background checks required to purchase a gun cannot legally include the customer's mental history "without a court order, a warrant, or some kind of subpoena."
"Basically, you can get a gun without that showing up anywhere in the check," she said.
The federal form also asks the prospective purchaser whether he is "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance."
Blakely said Barksdale has since admitted to having used drugs and going on an alcohol binge before firing the weapon.
Mims was struck seven times before he exited his vehicle, according to Limestone County District Attorney Kristi Valls. Two bullets hit Russell as he got out of his vehicle.
Nationwide, suspects used the SKS to kill eight police officers between 1998 and 2001, according to the nonprofit Violence Policy Center, based in Washington, D.C.
Valls said she will present the case to the next grand jury, which convenes in March.
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Nine days later, Farron Barksdale, 29, used the SKS rifle to kill officer Tony Mims, 40, and Sgt. Larry Russell, 42, when they responded to his 911 call, according to Athens police.
Barksdale, charged with six counts of capital murder, has been involuntarily committed to mental health institutions at least twice, Sheriff Mike Blakely told The Decatur Daily in a story Wednesday.
To buy the gun, Barksdale had to fill out a federal questionnaire, including this question: "Have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective ... or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?"
"Of course you can lie about that if you want to. The dealer has no way of knowing if you're lying or not," said James L. Moses, president of the Alabama State Pistol and Rifle Association, an affiliate of the National Rifle Association.
The Decatur Daily reported that Barksdade bought the gun at Larry's Pistol and Pawn in Huntsville. Store owner Larry Barnett declined to confirm or deny that Barksdale made such a purchase.
FBI special agent Kimberly Freeman of Birmingham said background checks required to purchase a gun cannot legally include the customer's mental history "without a court order, a warrant, or some kind of subpoena."
"Basically, you can get a gun without that showing up anywhere in the check," she said.
The federal form also asks the prospective purchaser whether he is "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, or any depressant, stimulant, or narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance."
Blakely said Barksdale has since admitted to having used drugs and going on an alcohol binge before firing the weapon.
Mims was struck seven times before he exited his vehicle, according to Limestone County District Attorney Kristi Valls. Two bullets hit Russell as he got out of his vehicle.
Nationwide, suspects used the SKS to kill eight police officers between 1998 and 2001, according to the nonprofit Violence Policy Center, based in Washington, D.C.
Valls said she will present the case to the next grand jury, which convenes in March.
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