Pretty sure the “government” did everything they could to keep the gun out of this kid’s hands. It was only after his father returned his gun to his child that the carnage began.
If this idiot was motivated enough to kill, he would’ve chosen another weapon. Violence has nothing to do with firearms. It’s about opportunity. Fists, water, and automobiles kill more people every year than firearms.
Of course, as you say, if he was motivated enough to do darm, he would have found a way.
The dad clearly knew his son had issues. Really bad judgement on his part when he returned the guns to his unstable kid.
The issue is a larger, societal one. A lot has changed in the last 30-40+ years.