CARLOS OSORIO/TORONTO STAR
ETF officers and K-9 unit search for clues on Janet Blvd. after 2 p.m. shooting at Lawrence Ave. E. apartment building April 8, 2008, left two men injured.
Banning what was already Banned is more Politics than Sense..
With increasing rate of Gun Crimes in the Greater Toronto Area, particularly in the areas where the Drug and Gang cultures are prevalent, the Toronto Council’s Executive committee unanimously approved a resolution banning handguns..
The Best the City could do is asked the Federal Government to ban Handguns...But. But handguns have been effectively banned across the country for a long time already..Handgun can be carried only by Police Officers and Security Personnel (armoured vehicles guards).
Yet, handguns can be had by anyone legally under the law and without the limits as to how many a person can have as long as the requirements of the law regarding proper and safe storage are complied with and all others such as they must be registered, and only for the purpose of Collection and Sports (target shooting).
But lately, some gun crimes involved legally owned handguns committed by its owners and most stolen from their owners, but majority still involved illegal handguns smuggled from across the border and traded illegally on the City Streets.
If indeed ownership of handguns should be banned, it can not only be done locally in particular city or province, but the whole country as Criminal Law is the Federal Government responsibilities and banning ownership in one place, but not in another is surely in Violation of the Charter's provision on Equality...
But the Federal Government had already informed the City of Toronto Government that Canada’s Gun Control Law is the Strictest it could get as handguns are already effectively banned. What is needed is the Policing aspect of enforcing the Gun Law and the enforcement of as much the Maximum penalty for violent Crimes involving firearms..
Also lately, Police forces in the GTA let it known that most of the suspects arrested in violent gun crimes are either repeat offenders, or Out on Bail for another Gun Crimes or Violent Crimes.
The granting of Bail for violent crime offenders should be reviewed and this is where the Onus should be Reversed and the burden should be shifted to the Accused to justify granting of Bail before the resolution of his or her case.
Yes, witnesses have been hearing lot of fireworks, anytime of day and only to read in the paper or watch in the t.v. or listen in the Radio that another one had been a victim of a gun crime, and sometimes a completely innocent by-stander...
for today's fireworks, clik here and here and for much bigger fireworks it's here
UPDATE: A 7 yerrs old boy that was reported missing during the shooting and who may have witnessed the shooting had been located by the Police together with his Father in the Same Building Complex where the incident happened..the boy's father was charged for the double shooting...it's here just clik...
