An afternoon shooting in Little Italy fuels the gun control debate
Another shooting in a crowded public place has rattled downtown residents—and ensured that the debate over gun control in Toronto will continue to rage. Yesterday afternoon, just over two weeks after the fatal Eaton Centre shooting, a shooter in construction worker garb killed a 35-year-old man and injured another in an apparent targeted shooting at the Sicilian Sidewalk Café in Little Italy. The area was busy with EuroCup soccer fans watching the match between Italy and Ireland (several Italy fans at Il Gatto Nero, a few doors away, continued to cheer on their team, even as police taped off the corner and addressed media). The gun control talking points started almost immediately: councillor Mike Layton, who lives in the area, blamed access to guns as the principal problem and called for stricter legislation. What form that could take remains to be seen: Adam Vaughan’s recent proposal of a gun and bullet ban has had mixed reviews, and though council has asked the province to maintain data from the newly dismantled federal long gun registry, it has little control over the matter. [National Post]
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Another shooting in a crowded public place has rattled downtown residents—and ensured that the debate over gun control in Toronto will continue to rage. Yesterday afternoon, just over two weeks after the fatal Eaton Centre shooting, a shooter in construction worker garb killed a 35-year-old man and injured another in an apparent targeted shooting at the Sicilian Sidewalk Café in Little Italy. The area was busy with EuroCup soccer fans watching the match between Italy and Ireland (several Italy fans at Il Gatto Nero, a few doors away, continued to cheer on their team, even as police taped off the corner and addressed media). The gun control talking points started almost immediately: councillor Mike Layton, who lives in the area, blamed access to guns as the principal problem and called for stricter legislation. What form that could take remains to be seen: Adam Vaughan’s recent proposal of a gun and bullet ban has had mixed reviews, and though council has asked the province to maintain data from the newly dismantled federal long gun registry, it has little control over the matter. [National Post]){kind=link}
It was a targeted hit, meaning that no ban on ammunition and guns would have prevented this.
Prohibition of alcohol in the early part of the century didn’t stop people from drinking.
All it did was make criminals out of the majority of the population that would have been happy to be law abiding and purchase alcohol from under a regulated regime.
Recognizing there was a demand for alcohol, criminal activity and gang warefare proliferated under making a business of prohibition.
Brilliant strategy.
Institute a ban on guns & ammo and the same thing will happen.
There’s a reason we take social studies as core subject in school. It’s so we can learn from our past mistakes and not repeat them.
Vaughan is a buffoon if he thinks legislation banning guns & ammo will stop the criminal eleeement that already aquires them through criminal channels. And he obviously didn’t pay attention in Grade 10, neither did his electorate.
Increase penalties for crimes committed with firearms to send a message, and continue our firearms licensing qualifications programs. Legislation bans will not solve this, anymore then legislating against stupidity.