Some people wonder why a country that gives its citizens the constitutional right to bear arms would have such strict gun laws. The short answer to this is that there is a need to balance these rights with public safety. For example, a person who commits murder using a gun probably wouldn’t be a safe person to give a gun to.
Gun violence in this country is a big problem to say the least. As such, government entities have gone to some extremes to take a hard stance against gun crimes. People who violate gun laws face some severe penalties, so if you are in this boat, it is time for you to start working on your defense against the charges.
While gun violence can occur anywhere, there is a troubling trend related to gangs. When gang members commit a felony, there is a chance that there will be a gun-related homicide. In fact, gang members committing felonies is one of the leading situations involving a fatal firearm incident. In many cases, these guns were obtained through illegal means.
But, not all gun-related incidents are fatal. Guns are sometimes used as the weapon of choice in other crimes. For example, a person might use the gun in a sexual assault or a robbery. In these cases, the presence of the gun is usually to intimidate the victim of the crime. It is also a factor that can mean the defendant faces aggravated or enhanced charges that come with penalties more severe than if the person had committed the crime without the gun present.
Source: National Institute of Justice, “Gun Violence,” accessed Aug. 04, 2017