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After the horrific Midtown Manhattan shooting that left four dead—including NYPD Officer Didarul Islam—New York’s political class wasted no time demanding a nationwide “assault weapons” ban.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared:
“The killer used an AR-15–style assault rifle … Congress must summon the courage to finally pass a national assault weapons ban.”
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani echoed the call, claiming New Yorkers “are only as safe as the weakest laws in the nation.”
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But here’s the truth that never makes the evening news: rifles like the AR-15 are involved in a tiny fraction of gun murders in the United States.
- According to FBI data analyzed by Pew Research, rifles—all rifles combined, including the so-called “assault weapons”—accounted for just 4% of gun murders in 2023.
- Handguns, if we want to play that game, are the “real driver” of firearm homicides, involved in 53% of murders.
- Shotguns were involved in 1%, and a whopping 42% of cases involved “other or unspecified” firearms—not AR-15s.
In other words, politicians are screaming about a weapon that is rarely used in crime while ignoring that almost all gun-related violence is committed with other firearms— or illegally possessed guns in the first place.
Bans Don’t Stop Evil—Criminals Adapt
Even if every AR-15 vanished tomorrow, a killer like 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura could have achieved the same carnage with a handgun, shotgun, knife, or even a vehicle.
History shows us criminals adapt. They always have.
Mass shootings, while tragic and high-profile, account for a tiny fraction of annual gun murders—722 deaths in 2023 by Gun Violence Archive’s overly broad definition, compared to nearly 18,000 total gun murders.
Yet politicians like Hochul and Mamdani focus on banning the most popular rifle in America, used by millions for home defense, competition, and hunting. That’s a gun-control talking point, not a real solution.
The 2A Community Sees the Pattern
Every time a criminal commits an atrocity, law-abiding gun owners get blamed.
New York already has an AR-15 ban, red flag laws, and strict storage rules—and none of it stopped this attack.
Instead of asking why these “strong” laws failed to protect Officer Islam and other victims, anti-gun politicians demand that the rest of America give up its rights.
The reality? Banning rifles won’t stop killers. Empowering citizens and holding criminals accountable will.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
He walked right in the open in broad daylight in a city with the toughest gun laws in the nation. This is another object they want to ban. This is all about control in the governments hand. When this country was growing and law enforcement was almost non-existent a persons safety was in the hands of the individual. Bad humans are going to be a fact of life and to rely on the government for your safety is fallacy sold by politicians who want to control every facet of your life. Look at the UK and Australia when they banned guns and the bad guys started using knives they are banning knives now. I remember a butcher who was driving home in London and he was stopped by the police he got arrested because his knives or work tools were on the front seat. There are so many laws on the books that if the government wanted to arrest you all they need to do is go down the list and they could find something to arrest you for. I don’t of any lefty politician who didn’t like a law to pass. I remember when I was a kid going to high school we used to drive to school with guns in our cars some would even put them in their lockers. School shootings were almost unheard of a fist fight or wrestling were the tools to settle grudges.
“The reality? Banning rifles won’t stop killers. Empowering citizens and holding criminals accountable will.” – author
I disagree, holding criminals accountable is a definitely a good thing and certainly empowering citizens is a step in the right direction but neither can stop bad people from doing bad things. Even if all the unconstitutional laws laws disappeared today and all the citizens who wanted to be armed suddenly were, it would not stop killers from killing. It would foil some attempts for sure but as the article says “criminals adapt”.
The sad reality is that no matter what we do, a bad person intent on doing bad things will find a way to do them. We only have to look at other nations where draconian gun laws make it all but impossible for the citizens to be armed and yet somehow, innocent people are still killed and maimed by bad people intent on doing bad things. I still agree that every citizen who can carry and wants to carry should be allowed to carry because while we may not be able to stop bad people from doing bad things we can at least be better able to defend ourselves, our families and others when it happens.
MOLON LABE! “Come Take Them.” If you believe you CAN……….
The problem in the gun community is that the majority of gun owners don’t vote or get involved in politics to stop these insane laws/ We want to use the tools our Founding Fathers gave us before we get to the point of the government coming for our guns. The Founding Fathers designed the Republic to be participant from it’s citizen and this is a must otherwise the system will fall apart and the results won’t be pretty. You don’t want to get to that point if we get to that point it will make the last Civil War look like a Sunday Party.
Never let the facts get in the way of a liberal mindset!
Why not a nationwide ban on new york?
not one anti gunner will ever change, their behavior has become a compulsive disorder that must be satisfied at any cost!