I'm curious to how the private seller loophole is used for the transmissions of firearms to Chicago. There is no data for this on this graphic, but it seems to me that if I were a felon desiring a gun, this is the method I would use. All you would have to do is go to one of the numerous websites and pay with a cash card or cashier's check (if they don't accept Bitcoin). Have the gun FedEx'ed to a vacant house and use a fake ID to pick it up (if that would even be necessary). Piece of cake.

Let's also set up a universal ban on all psychoactive drugs. That would eliminate a lot of crime, and addiction would probably be over tomorrow!

@1: Your presumption that felons procure guns in this manner is charming. Please share your speculation on how they procure bulk quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine for distribution via Facebook, or how they coordinate and schedule murder of rival criminals using Google Plus.

Grind that axe!

This is the dumbest thing posted on Slog in a long time.

I assume you'd also be in favor of sealing all of our borders, too, to prevent guns from coming in that way?

@1 Nice theory, dude. But firearms can only be shipped to licensed dealers. If you order a gun online it is shipped to the nearest licensed gun dealer of your choice who will then give you the gun after you have passed a background check and paid a small handling fee.

Anyways, this story kinda seems like common sense. Obviously, if someone wants something that's unavailable in their county they're going to go buy it in the next county. Were all of the 50,000 guns recovered by police "assault weapons" with "high-capacity magazines"? If not, and they were guns that were legal to own in Chicago, even if not buy/sell, I don't see how this is news.

Also, Charles wrote: "Altogether, nearly half of the guns came from locations around Chicago. What does this mean? An effective ban can only be a universal ban."

I think, if "nearly half" of the guns came from outside Chicago, than it follows that over half of them came from inside Chicago. So it seems to me that the ban isn't that effective anyway.

@10: Pretty much this.

fairly.unbalanced, I prognosticate by dint of my amazing powers that you will pop in here to say something ignorant again. I would like you to know that you are a punk cunt. Also, you can't handle the truth.
Where's that owl? Blending in???

Ban on a civil right results in unexpected consequences, for one metro area. Answer from Chuck, suspend civil right for entire country.

Does this logic work for things not in the Constitution? welfare ( people cheat! ) protests ( black bloc ) and abortion (the children!) as well? I wanna study Marxism, it sounds really easy to get a passing grade in.

I suppose the assumption is if a gun ban went into effect, the *urban* youth of the Chicago area, which account for the gross percentage of all gun violence in the entire country, (nickname Chi-raq ) will just start hugging it out?

@1
"Have the gun FedEx'ed to a vacant house and use a fake ID to pick it up (if that would even be necessary). Piece of cake."

Perhaps you could spend some time learning what the actual laws are regarding the sale/transportation of guns.
You cannot order a gun and have it shipped anywhere other than to someone with a Federal Firearms License (FFL).
So a "vacant house" would not meet that criteria.
It's been that way since 1968.

@ Mudede

Around the world millions of people want to come to the USA for the opportunity and because they think it a good place to be.

So to one of these do we grant citizenship? Nah. We give it to someone who despises America. We give it to someone who hates the rights that make us who we are. We give it to someone who hates and fears the values and faith that helped build the best place on Gods earth. We give it to a damn communist who wants a nation of whining adult babies forever sucking on government teats. We give it to a malcontent rabble rousing POS like Chucky Mudede.

Hey Chuck, you blithering moron? If you hate this great nation so much, get the hell out you commie scum.

@14: No, it is only that way for guns that classify as handguns (as if private sellers would comply with it). Btw, do you support that law? Or do you think it is a restriction? And do you support the gun show loophole as well?

@14: Oh wait. I responded to @fairly.unbalanced. Please don't respond to me as you are a troll. @NopeNope and @Ken_Mehlman can respond if they want (since they will probably discuss the issue in good faith, something @fairly.unbalanced is uncapable of).

@16
"No, it is only that way for guns that classify as handguns (as if private sellers would comply with it)."

First off, you are wrong.
Anyone selling a rifle or shotgun via mail order or on line has to have an FFL and the sale has to be legal in the state where the seller is selling it and the state where the buyer is buying it.

Secondly, the law does apply to private sellers selling across state lines. The gun must be shipped to someone holding an FFL.

Thirdly, you are now arguing the NRA's point that criminals do not follow the laws.

It has been that way since 1968. So if you are 45 or younger that has been the law your entire life. Perhaps you could spend some time learning what the actual laws are regarding the sale/transportation of guns.

@16: You are completely wrong as to how gun transfers work. If it makes you feel any better, you are far from alone, there are a lot of low information folks out there on this topic.

Charles,
While I can plainly see where you're coming from regarding the last sentence of your posting, I can only say that it is simply impossible. That is, if you mean a total ban on ALL firearms and ammunition. Not gonna happen anytime soon in America even this most Liberal America. I'm not surprised at all that gun shops surround the city in the suburbs. It's similar to counties or towns that ban alcohol sales. Liquor stores abound at the borders of those counties or towns.

Look, effective banning of almost anything doesn't work especially regarding weaponry. I do believe effective education might work. A start might be instructing the masses that the possessing of a firearm doesn't necessarily make one safer. In fact, it might make one more vulnerable to firearm tragedies.

And pop culture will have to contribute to that education effort beginning with TV and film. In that, they could portray less imagery with weaponry in particular movies or episodes of shows. During the Super Bowl, I noticed at least one advert for a TV show, "24 hrs" with the star wielding a handgun. That doesn't help diminish the "gun culture". But, a universal ban on firearms is absolutely implausible. The culture not the law, needs to change.

For the record, I support restricting handguns and background checks for purchases of firearms. But, I don't support an outright ban on firearms and ammunition.

@15: You also are a punk cunt.

Cook County is not next door to Chicago. Chicago is in Cook County. Just like Seattle is in King County.

@21

Aww, Junior's grumpy today! Did your mommy forget to put you down for a nap, little buddy?

Hahaha, confiscate guns. Go ahead, give it a go. Don't be surprised when that effort fails. Expect an abrupt change of government shortly thereafter.

@23: I'm always grumpy. Fortunately, I'm also smarter and better-educated than you. Crawl back under your rock.