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Virginia Jails Chinese Student for Inserting a 30-Round Mag into an AR

Robert Farago - comments No comments

“[Yunsong] Zhao was arrested because he allegedly attached a 30-round magazine to a rifle,” richmond.com reports. “He was allowed to own both the gun and magazine, but when they were combined, the rifle qualified as an assault weapon prohibited to people with Zhao’s visa status.” Yes, you read that right . . .

You can have as many 30-round rifle, handgun or shotgun ammunition magazines as you like in Virginia — as long as you don’t pop one into a gun.

Zhao’s defense attorney isn’t challenging the box of rocks stupid mag law. As Jason Wolfrey asked the court to allow bail for his client (denied), he told the court that Zhao never used his rifle with the 30-round magazine.

Zhao did own two 30-round magazines, but he traded them for a sling for his firearm, Wolfrey said.

When Zhao checked out his gun from the student gun lockers at the Virginia Tech Police Department and went to a firing range in the national forest with a friend, he had a legal 20-round magazine, Wolfrey said.

Wolfrey offered pictures of the gun with a 20-round magazine, saying this was what Zhao had used. A video from the firing range that shows the smaller magazine may eventually be offered as evidence as well, Wolfrey said.

Little replied that the Blacksburg police detective who watched the student at the firing range was positive that he had seen a 30-round magazine on the rifle.

Virginia Tech kicked Zhao out after the weapons charge, and added a bit about his failure to maintain a sufficient grade point average. Which invalidates his student visa.

Hence the bail denial. The great state of Virginia worries that the feds will scoop up the Chinese ex-student and send him home  before they can make an example of him, both as a 30-round mag scofflaw and a gun nut.

A characterization that doesn’t make Mr. Zhao’s lawyer happy.

[Commonwealth’s Attorney Erin] Little said that authorities had taken a bayonet and more than 700 rounds of ammunition, along with other items, from Zhao’s dormitory room for safe-keeping, and that Zhao owned a former police car that he’d equipped with antennas and a push bar, though the latter was not actually attached to the vehicle, she said.

Wolfrey responded that these items had nothing to do with the charges against Zhao and noted police had not found a 30-round magazine. Three search warrants filed in the case said that police had taken nothing from Zhao’s dorm room and two vehicles, and they made no mention of the items Little listed, Wolfrey noted.

If Zhao had a high quantity of ammunition in his room, it was because he liked target shooting, Wolfrey said. “He was a regular user of the firing range. It’s not unusual for people to buy in bulk,” Wolfrey said.

Zhao had followed university rules about storing firearms at the police department, Wolfrey said.

“What he’s accused of comes down to whether he had a 30-round magazine or a 20-round magazine,” Wolfrey said.

How stupid is that? Especially considering . . .

Tech has issued multiple statements this week saying authorities never thought Zhao was a threat to anyone.

The same can’t be said for Virginia’s gun laws.

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Robert Farago

Robert Farago is the former publisher of The Truth About Guns (TTAG). He started the site to explore the ethics, morality, business, politics, culture, technology, practice, strategy, dangers and fun of guns.

0 thoughts on “Virginia Jails Chinese Student for Inserting a 30-Round Mag into an AR”

  1. Complete mental retardation. There is no other explanation to this.
    The supreme court should strike down whatever bullsh*t laws they have. All of them. Fast.
    And Trump better be pardoning that guy if they actually charge him.
    Everything else i wanted to say about this subject is a completely valid proposal for defending of the constitution, but my lawyer said the constitution and defending it with force is not valid and legal in 2018, so i had to cut it away.

    Reply
  2. The detective was “positive” he had a 30 round magazine in the gun?! Ridiculous law aside…

    Since when does being positive about something without proof actually hold up in court? For that matter did this guy use the crappiest lawyer of all time? Seems like even the bottom of the class lawyer could get that thrown out of court since it appears it’s a he said/she said situation. Why did the lawyer even feel it necessary to explain having 700 rounds? It tickles me anyone would think 700 rounds of ammo is a considerable amount lol. Sub 1000 and I start to worry about running low

    Would’ve LOVED to be a member of that jury if it had one.

    Reply
    • The legal system has two critical flaws – it believes LEOs are incapable of mistakes and that they never ever lie. Both of which have been proven to be false many times.

      Under that broken logic the system puts statements made by LEOs as irrefutable evidence and outweighs any claims or defense by mere members of the public.

      I doubt this will ever change, which is a great shame. They are just people after all, not gods.

      Reply
    • Evidence sufficient to arrest or charge someone with a crime requires “probable cause”

      Evidence sufficient to convict requires “Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

      So, no, it shouldn’t hold up in court. But that’s what court is for.

      Reply
  3. So they’ve not found a 30 round mag, and only have the word of one (possibly racist) Barney Fife claiming he saw the accused with said mag? Is there no common sense there? Oh wait, it’s Virginia, never mind.

    Reply
  4. I understand that 9mm is king, but I want a .45, if I were to have a range toy. Unfortunately, I missed my chance to buy one when I saw it at a gun show. You know how it goes: didn’t have enough money, the required sum was larger than my daily withdrawal limit, and my bank was far away (and actually closed already). Obviously it’s much easier to order one through a dealer and pick it up at the store, so I’m hoping that maybe Mr. Bond will get around to this part of Boberg legacy in due time.

    Reply
  5. So is it now illegal to buy a beat up old cop car and put an antenna on it? Or is it only illegal when you put the push bar on? Makes about as much sense as the charge against this guy.

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  6. Let me say this simply

    He is not a FULL 100% citizen or any %%%%% citizen??

    SO FUCK HIM!

    Only thing I might be mad about is any jail time???
    our taxes paying for a warm cot?? toss-em back home!

    Reply
    • Classic comment by someone that doesn’t understand the Constitution. The Constitution very clearly distinguishes between the people and citizens. The Bill of Rights protects all, not only citizens.

      Reply
      • No it doesn’t and it’s not a treaty with the rest of the world.
        That’s libtard thinking.
        “The people” are the citizens. Not whoever is here legal or not.

        Reply
    • Shall we adopt that logic to Americans visiting other countries? I bet you wouldn’t mind since you’ve probably never left your trailer park.

      There’s a big difference between legal immigrants\tourists\student visas and illegal aliens.

      Reply
  7. Isn’t a student visa a non-immigrant visa and therefore would make him federally prohibited, unless he also held a hunting license?

    Reply
  8. To play democrats’ advocate, I see two major crimes here: (1) coming to the country legally and (2) exercising the 2A right.

    Reply
  9. Do the words “migrant” and “foreigner” mean refugees? Because I have a feeling they aren’t feeling super angry at tourists.

    Reply
  10. I am sorry that I copied this from the Giffords Law Center web site but it summarizes the problem with this person carrying a rifle with a 30 round magazine pretty well. Basically, State law prohibits a person from carrying a rifle with a magazine capable of holding more than 20 rounds in certain jurisdictions unless the person is actively engaged in an exempted activity or a concealed weapons permit holder.

    Virginia prohibits the carrying of certain kinds of loaded firearms on or about the person, openly or concealed, on any public street, road, alley, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or in any public park or any other place of whatever nature that is open to the public in certain cities.1 More specifically, the law applies to a loaded: (i) semi-automatic center-fire rifle or pistol that expels single or multiple projectiles by action of an explosion of a combustible material and is equipped at the time of the offense with a magazine that will hold more than 20 rounds of ammunition or designed by the manufacturer to accommodate a silencer or equipped with a folding stock; or (ii) shotgun with a magazine that will hold more than seven rounds of the longest ammunition for which it is chambered.2 The law only applies in the Cities of Alexandria, Chesapeake, Fairfax, Falls Church, Newport News, Norfolk, Richmond, or Virginia Beach or in the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun, or Prince William.3 Concealed handgun permit holders and individuals actually engaged in lawful hunting or lawful recreational shooting activities at an established shooting range or shooting contest are among the exceptions.4

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  11. Negative on ankle carry. Health care workers are constantly up and down off exam stools all day, obviously causing pant leg to ride up, and in extremely close proximity to patients. Highly recommend under tech undercover. Comfortable and concealed, but get 1-2 sizes over what you normally wear as the garment is very snug. If borderline between two sizes, go up 2 sizes.

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  12. My own grandmother knew her and told my mother that she was a haunted soul. She would employ construction workers, get building ideas and the carpenters would end up quiting because of her crazy demands. Even the landscapers would soon leave.
    She was nuts.

    Reply
  13. While I question this industry, if it is legal where he did the deed, and he paid to do so, he did not deserve any punishment by man for doing so.
    There is such a thing as punishment of self, if not by God. Whoever killed this man on purpose also will face these punishments as well as man’s punishment.

    Reply
  14. The Italian “powers that be” should give the guy a full auto, all the ammunition he wants, a bullet proof vehicle, a medal, and erect a statue in his honor. I’m getting real tired of hearing about the brave and courageous refuges that fled their country. Fleeing your country is not brave or courageous, kicking the shit out of the enemy is.

    Reply
  15. Ankle carry is a niche method. There are circumstances where it might be appropriate for some people. Generally it’s a good way to carry a BUG….or a THIRD weapon. As for wearing one with scrubs…..not recommended if you want to keep your job. When you squat down to do something and the cuff of your pants come up it will be visible…and you will be instantly unemployed/unemployable. The best carry method for scrubs is the Smart Carry style of holsters that fasten around your waist and allow you to carry directly in front just below the waistline. Nobody is going to be touching you there and it’s very secure. Drawing from such a holster is no more difficult than drawing from an ankle holster.

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  16. That is why I’m moving away from eBay and setting up shop elsewhere. They sent me the same BS notice when I listed a Sightmark Wolfhound optic because the model number contained AR. Plus their fees are really eating into my profit margine.

    Reply
  17. I do not understand why someone would hunt something that they are not going to eat, unless it’s about over population. The other part of this it’s not a good look for the gun community.

    Reply
  18. This is the same kind of stupid as the AR pistoll/SBR regs our beloved ATF enforces. You can have an 11.5″ barreled AR upper receiver, a lower receiver with a stock, a lower receiver without a stock and a 16″ barreled upper. Assemble them correctly and you are A OK, change the order up – insta-felon.

    Reply
  19. Tried it. I had to wear it low on the ankle to keep my sock under it to avoid having the holster chafe my ankle, but that keeps it low, so it really doesn’t fall down. Crew socks, so if you’re into those little low rider socks that just barely peek out of the shoe, that’s not going to do it.

    Also, you’ll need longer inseam lengths (cuff lays down on the shoe) and a looser fit helps…but that is how I prefer my pants, so it works out.

    Honestly, I didn’t have an issue as long as the holster didn’t make direct contact with the ankle, and if I wear it for any length of time, I forget it’s there. But I can dig it’s not for everyone.

    Reply
  20. Not dotting i’s and crossing t’s will get you in the crosshairs.

    The bigger thing to note is that after MONTHS of intensive investigation is seems all the POPO have is this guy making ammo for sale without a license. They want a scapegoat so they can put the issue on the shelf.

    Reply
  21. Damn. What a disgusting pig for arresting and charging the poor kid. Scumbag cop, hang em high. Then go after the politicians for enacting such evil and stupidity. The state is truly evil.

    Reply
  22. Also, in every shooting training that involves cars or glass, wear a god damn respirator. Some cheap thing from the hardware store will do.
    You remember this asbestos thingy? Yeah? That was SiO2 fiber, and broken glass is… SiO2 dust. Whoever shoots through a windshield without airway protection is begging for lung cancer.

    Reply
  23. “These are devices that are designed to kill a lot of people quickly, ⬅️ straight up lie.
    and I’m not sure that we ought to be compensating people for giving up these devices that never should have been purchased in the first place,” he said. ⬅️ Opinion not based on the CONSTITUTION.
    It’s about time to purge these fascist scumbags.

    Reply
  24. “I’m not sure that we ought to be compensating people for giving up these devices”

    I don’t want to put words into these peoples mouths, but I feel like this sentiment is rubbing elbows with “there’s no such thing as personal property.”

    Reply
  25. Yeah these are not made by Polymer80. I believe these are made by Glockstore themselves. Polymer80 is soon to release their Glock 26 80% lower though. It’s true you’re not not saving any money but this is the only way for people in California to have a Glock 43 unless you want to pay $900 from a private seller. I’m also looking forward to the P320 80% lower from Ghost Guns. I’ve been wanting a P320 but I’m not going to pay $1000 for one just because it’s off roster.

    Reply
  26. Personally other then to breath fresh air. I wouldn’t have a lot to loose by going to jail. Might even be a relief to let the state pay. Instead of me having to pay for day to day living for awhile. I wouldn’t turn in any at the time legally and lawfully purchased items. Not without full compensation by the state. A pen doesn’t make a law justifiable nor constitutional. If I lived in Mass. And the po po came to my door. They had better be prepared to see me make use of my formerly legal piece of plastic. Banning bump stocks and expecting owners to turn them in is a ridiculous waste of time. Making something illegal due to the use of 1 person out of millions of gun owners is insanity. They just have to look south to see the response making “assault” rifles illegal has gotten Connecticut and NY state. Nowhere. Same with Marylands stupidity.

    Reply
  27. The NRA is large DC lobby which means it has large DC lobby corruption. At this point the NRA has a business model, and that business model is that it needs a dragon to slay in order to justify it’s own existence, and ideally the country should be one democrat congress away from total gun confiscation, ie the 1990’s.

    The NRA’s deal making HAS resulted in a few things that are worthwhile – excepting the Hughes Amendment, FOPA86 is actually a good law. The compromise on armor piercing ammo back in the 80’s left rifles alone even if it’s getting in the way now. But make no mistake, the NFA34 and GCA68 are not going ANYWHERE if the NRA has a say in it. The NRA has supported the system those two laws put in place at every step of the way and do so even now with their urging of the ATF to ban “rate increasing devices.”

    The NRA is walking a fine line, how do they keep things just bad enough that you’re scared enough to keep buying lifetime memberships, but also how do they keep having just enough success that you’re confident enough in them to keep buying lifetime memberships.

    In other words you should be throwing your money to Gun Owners of America.

    Reply
  28. No, they have not failed. Having a President Clinton would be a fail. Any while our petty issues may seem important. There are higher priorities on the front burner. And until you get 60 votes in the Senate to move anything to a floor vote. The status quo will remain.

    Reply
  29. My license will expire in October. I should receive the paperwork 6-8 weeks before the expiry. The registry is trying to streamline processes and you supposedly can continue to use your expired license until the new one is approved (or denied). But myself and many others do not take the risk of a wannabe warrior cop and suspend shooting activities until the license is sorted out.

    Bureaucrats can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. I know someone who had to wait 7 months for his reapplication to be processed. His application was at the bottom of the pile and newer applications kept getting added to the top. The bureaucrat didn’t think to put the old applications on the top of the pile, but bureaucrats don’t get paid to think.

    Reply
  30. .45 s already subsonic more or less,, 22 short quiet as a mouse, 9 mm aint worth a shhht, and Hornaday beat you to polymer tip, so yeah, yay Winchester

    Reply
  31. So you effectively roofied yourself, made fun of a neighborhood you know nothing about, and proved that you’re not too great at summarizing your experiences. If we’re lucky, this will also be your last Shot Show.

    Reply
  32. To me, the graph suggests that the Brady Act’s five day waiting period was effective at reducing the number of US gun deaths, since gun deaths dropped while the Act was in full effect and have been constant since the waiting period was ended. Clearly, something different was happening with guns in the US from 1993 to 1999, and the Brady Act’s waiting period is my best guess.

    Nguyen and Leghorn say they’d expect a spike after the expiration of Brady, but that’s bad logic. It would require something like a huge gun buyback to cause an instant step-like drop in the number of gun deaths. The Brady Act didn’t do a gun buyback, of course. With Brady, sales were constricted a little (Brady blocked less than 1% of gun sales, mostly to felons) so you wouldn’t expect a step-down in gun deaths, but rather a reduction in the SLOPE of the gun-death-count (red) or gun-death-rate (black) curves, and that’s exactly what we see.

    Linoge (Jonathan Sullivan?) argues elsewhere that correlation coefficients tell you the graph disproves that more gun means more deaths, but that is horrible statistical reasoning, as Don points out. There are lots of other variables here beyond the number of guns: changes in demographics, crime, gun hardware, economy, and gun laws between 1981 and 2007.

    Farago doesn’t say what he considers incendiary about the graph. He gives no link to the Brady tweet, and his link to the wallsofthecity web site is broken.

    Reply
  33. Poor Chinese kid. For a moment I thought this was happening in the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Not Virginia! Supposedly, a Pro-2@ , Post DNC Gov. McAwful, Southern “Free-State…?” Obviously, this Foreign National kid on a legal visa was being targeted for some kind of Police and College Facility Harassment ! Maybe the NRA, or GOA should looking into helping this kid…Non-Citizen or NOT…Get this guy a real group of attorneys…Get him acquitted of all charges, and fix his life with a serious lawsuit with the college, the township, the police department, and all those that were in involved! Get this guy some $$$$$$$$ ! So he can have full citizenship…I’m if he was shipped backed to China…He would face harassment there as well…..

    Reply
  34. This can be see by the destruction of the property in the greater Philadelphia area currently.
    Yay, my team done good, lets break everything we can, its justified because its expected……

    Reply
  35. It is true that bump stocks are designed for only one thing but it ISN’T to kill lots of people….it’s to turn lot’s of money into noise!

    Reply
  36. Weird, I’ve been OCing in the Outback in Idaho Falls for the last 6 months without issue. No signs up either, at least not all last year.

    Reply
  37. It happens — just not that often.

    Several years ago a friend and I were snow goose hunting. We were working opposite sides of the field. It was a blue bird day with hardly any geese flying at all. Finally I spotted a lone, silent snow goose flying over our spread right at me. When he was well in range, I took my shot and nailed him. The goose plummeted into the opposite side of the field and landed within 2 feet of my dozing partner. It shocked the hell out of him — he never saw it coming.

    Also many years ago I was watching a hunting show where they were hunting snow geese. The show’s host (I forget which show) took his shot. The cameraman was tracking the falling bird down. Apparently, looking through the camera lens ruins your depth perception, because that bird landed right on the camera! Knocked the cameraman out cold; but fortunately no serious injuries.

    Reply
  38. My big brother loves my Ruger SR 22lr once I showed him how to take safety off so it would go bang, he’s not much of a Gun guy! I could shoot it all day long except if there’s a wind blowing. Those little tiny 22lr bullets go off aim something awful. Not a fan of sting of recoil, noise, muzzle flip.
    Also have EAA Witness PAVONA 9 mm Luger that I use for Ladies Shooting League and bedside self defense.
    Think about this handgun for the women in your lives.
    It is designed for women with wider groves for easier racking the slide. I was really put off by semiautomatic Handguns until I purchased it. 13 round magazines available. 3 white dot sights. Very well balanced for less felt recoil. Can be fired double action or single action. The trigger does have groves cut into it. I found them uncomfortable so used a Dremel to smooth it out. Is Single and Double action trigger. As I’ve gotten older I have weaker finger stength. Carry it cocked and locked.

    Do an internet search for reviews and let me know what think.

    Reply
  39. What does a countrified progressive feminazi have to sing about anyway?
    here’s a list of some of her songs:

    1. Aunt-ti-fa’s coming to dinner (The Antifa song)
    2. My baby’s no baby (The abortion song)
    3. Conservative Dystopia
    4. When you turn, Virtue signal
    5. 99. Genders
    6. Wide open (Safe spaces)
    7. I fell in love with Anarchy, Then she set my Truck on fire
    8. Moral relativism is what we make it

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  40. 1.People kill people, not tools.
    2.Weapons are not toys.
    3.Keep your finger off the trigger unless you are intent on killing whatever the gun is pointed at.

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  41. sic /sik/
    adverb

    used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original.

    Sic goes in quotes, not your own odd or erroneous usage.

    Reply
  42. I’m not against training for a carry permit I’m not for it either. Problem is you can’t give legislators an inch because when it boils down to it; its all just an introduction to total disarmament.

    Reply

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