According to Rakeyia Scott, the wife of Keith Lamont Scott, he suffered from a traumatic brain injury, did not own a gun, and was reading a book in his SUV when approached by police.

The “book” turned out to be a Colt Mustang II, a relatively rare and no longer made “mousegun” manufactured for a relatively brief period in Colt’s long history, and which commands a premium on the used handgun market. A version in good condition starts at roughly $650, and one excellent to “new in box” condition starts at $800.

This is considerably more than the cost of common .380 ACP, 9mm, and .40 S&W caliber pocket pistols which range in price from less than $200 on the bargain basement end of the spectrum, to the much more common $350-$550 retail price.

Of course, Keith Lamont Scott could not purchase his firearm retail, or lawfully possess one by any means.

Keith Lamont Scott was a violent ex-con with a long criminal history with weapons.

A public records search shows that Scott was convicted in April 2004 of a misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon charge in Mecklenburg County. Other charges stemming from that date were dismissed: felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and misdemeanors assault on a child under 12, assault on a female and communicating threats.

In April 2015 in Gaston County Court, Scott was found guilty of driving while intoxicated.

In 1992, Scott was charged in Charleston County, S.C., with several different crimes on different dates, including carrying a concealed weapon (not a gun), simple assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He pleaded guilty to all charges.

Scott also was charged with aggravated assault in 1992 and assault with intent to kill in 1995. Both charges were reduced, but the disposition of the cases is unclear.

According to Bexar County, Texas, records, Scott was sentenced in March 2005 to 15 months in a state jail for evading arrest. In July of that year, records show, he was sentenced to seven years in prison on a conviction of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman said Scott completed his sentence and was released from prison in 2011.

Clearly, Scott didn’t learn from his violent past, which includes incidents where he allegedly tried to kill people dating back to 1992.

So if he couldn’t legally acquire the Colt Mustang Plus II and well-worn ankle holster that he was clearly seen wearing in CMPD body camera video right before he was shot, where did he get them?

There are only two possible explanations.

The first possible explanation is that Scott obtained the weapon via a “straw purchase” carried out by a family member or friend. This is unlikely due to several reasons, the primary reason being cost. It is very unlikely that if Scott was going obtain a handgun via a straw purchase from a dealer or lawful private seller that he would opt for a Colt Mustang Plus II based on the aforementioned rarity and exorbitant cost of these firearms on the collector’s market. Even used, it costs two to four times as much as new handguns.

As an ex-con with limited career choices and the previously mentioned traumatic brain injury claimed by his family, Scott would have presumably been on a very limited budget for any kind of firearm obtained from the public firearms market.

This leads us to the probability that Scott’s gun was obtained on the criminal black market, and more than likely through theft. Criminals are unlikely to know the actual value of the firearms they steal, and a relatively obscure handgun like the Mustang Plus II in .380 amusingly doesn’t have the cachet among criminals that a stolen Glock or even a Hi-Point does among criminals.

It’s bizarre that the media isn’t pressing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police to reveal information about the firearm in Scott’s possession, including and ATF tracing information that may indicate the origins of the pistol into the retail market, and whether it was ever reported stolen.

Bearing Arms has a call into the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department inquiring about the origins of Scott’s handgun. We’ll update this story when and if we get a response.

Update: Stolen gun.

CMPD sources: the gun #KeithScott had was reported stolen after a breaking and entering. The B&E suspect told ATF he sold the gun to Scott. pic.twitter.com/VraxBk4gp5

— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) September 26, 2016