[gridaphobe]

Chicago's problem is that their guns laws only affect the city itself. If a criminal wants a gun he need only drive out of Chicago, buy the gun, and drive back home. In fact, a recent article (don't have the link on hand, sorry) pointed out that a large percentage of guns used in crimes in Chicago were bought from a single store just outside the city limits.

The point is that cities don't have monitored borders, and so they have a hard time regulating the influx of guns. A country-wide ban would actually stand a chance of working.

Edit: here's the article I mentioned: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/strict-chicago-gun-laws...

[pc86]

> In fact, a recent article (don't have the link on hand, sorry) pointed out that a large percentage of guns used in crimes in Chicago were bought from a single store just outside the city limits.

I haven't heard this but it certainly sounds plausible.

To me, it says one of a few things are happening: (A) The people buying the guns are not criminals at the time of purchase, and shouldn't be prohibited from buying them in the first. Whether they go on to commit a crime with the gun or the gun is stolen and then used in a crime is mostly irrelevant; (B) The people buying the guns are criminals at the time of purchase, and the NICS check didn't alert the owner properly. This would be more a failure of the FBI than anyone else; (C) Least likely, the people buying the guns are criminals at the time of purchase and the owner of the shop knew this and either did not perform the NICS check or performed it with fraudulent data.

[pc86]

I should also point out that since it's illegal to purchase a gun in Chicago it's not at all surprising that guns in Chicago happen to come from gun shops immediately outside the city borders.

[benjarrell]

They are literally no gun shops in Chicago, it is not possible to legitimately purchase a gun in the city limits.

[jtheory]

...

Are you replying to an earlier version of the comment above?