Three Hundred and Three.

Three hundred and three is:

a) The number of handguns registered in Chicago post McDonald.
b) The number of shootings in Chicago last month.
c) The number of guns turned in at Chicago's latest gun buyback.
d) The number of Chicagoans who have defended themselves with a gun this year.


Click through for the answer.

This is why you lock them up. Part IV

What is so hard about keeping criminals in jail?

Following another Chicago tragedy, it turns out the shooter was just another product of our revolving door criminal justice system:

Prosecutors say he was convicted of a felony gun possession charge two months ago and remains on probation. Brisco also had a juvenile burglary conviction.

Probation for a felony gun charge? Surely it was because he was just another nice kid caught up in a bad situation, right?

Witnesses told authorities that Brisco admitted to being the triggerman shortly after the shooting — even bragging about it, prosecutors said.

Brisco made “several incriminating statements including, ‘We let loose on 107th Street,’ and ‘We got down on them, and aired them out,’ ” according to a written list of allegations presented by prosecutors.

“When asked if he knew if the girls were out there, [Brisco told witnesses,] ‘Yes, but we didn’t care, we let the whole 40 clip go,” according to prosecutors.

Sounds like a great kid. Maybe this time they will actually put him in jail rather than releasing him into the wild to kill more innocent people.

When guns are banned...

Criminals become innovative.

Det Con Dan Bryant said: "This was a highly-organised operation whereby Coke and Kadena were converting and modifying firearms, doubtless with the sole intention of selling them on to those intent on committing serious crime.

"They were dangerous and ruthless individuals, content in the knowledge they were producing deadly weapons in order to line their own pockets."

Oklahoma "Only One" busted selling guns to Mexican drug cartels.

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Agent Arrested for Alleged Firearms Sales to Mexican Cartels

Reyes is accused of using a false name to buy five A-K 47s from Outdoor America, as well as transferring a 50-caliber Barrett rifle to someone who wasn't licensed to own it. ATF agents said Reyes would also use his residence at the Regency Tower in downtown Oklahoma City and other places across the state to pay others to purchase guns and then complete the work to have the weapons sent to Mexico. Authorities said they believed the guns were making it into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.

The Bureau of Firearms, Firearms, and maybe that other stuff.

At least that's what Paul Helmke thinks it should be.

Judging by his latest complaint, he's perturbed because the ATF is focusing on one of the letters that comes before the "F". Specifically, the "T".

And what does he believe the ATF should be doing instead? Doing away with due process, of course.

But while the ATF announces it will fight our terrorist enemies' access to our cigarette supply, the agency continues to sit out the debate about whether we should close the "terror gap" in our background check system for gun purchases that enables terror watch list suspects to buy all the guns they want, and the gun show loophole that allows them to buy guns without Brady background checks.

Apparently in Paul Helmke's world, it's (still) OK to deny people their rights simply because some bureaucrat placed their name on a secret list.

Bloody Baltimore.

The numbers speak for themselves.

Number of people shot over the weekend: 7
Number of people shot and killed so far this year: 119
Brady Campaign ranking for common sense gun laws: 5

The murder charges against Jerome Ersland may be dropped.

Why?

That's because a new expert has reviewed the autopsy of Antwun Parker and determined that Jerome Ersland's first shot to the teen's head could have killed him.

Why was the autopsy revisited? This might have something to do with it:

However, the state has since fired its chief medical examiner, Dr. Collie Trent.

Anyone familiar with the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office knows they have a less than stellar track record, rife with corruption, mismanagement and questionable conclusions. Will this be another case?

* In case you don't know who Jerome Ersland is, some background.

Criminal control, not gun control, reduces shootings.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater has been named one of the winners of this year's Project Safe Neighborhoods Achievement Awards.
...
Over the last three years, the county has seen a reduction in drive-by shootings, Prater said. In 2006 there were 245 drive-by shootings. Last year there were 100, Prater said. While Prater's name is on the award, he stressed the success his office has had is a group effort across multiple agencies.

That's over a 50% reduction, all accomplished without a single reduction in rights. No registration, no licensing, no long drawn out process to purchase a gun, no extra limitations on where you can have a gun or how many you can have.

Soon, we may all get a taste of Chicago.

From Main Justice:

President Barack Obama might soon nominate the chief of the Chicago office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to lead the Justice Department agency, The Washington Post reported.

Special Agent in Charge Andrew Traver would be the bureau’s first Senate-confirmed director, if approved. Temporary appointees have held the post since a 2006 law gave the Senate the ability to confirm the director.

It's not like the ATF has ever been a friend of gun owners, but appointing an anti-gun zealot straight from the fiefdom of Daley isn't going to make things any better. What are we in store for? Here is a sample:

Traver says the power and randomness of the heavy caliber, military-style weapons make them so dangerous not only to people, but to police. They're so powerful, body armor can't withstand a hit, and they're so difficult to control, their bullets often get sprayed beyond the intended targets, striking innocent victims even when they’re in their own homes.

He's definitely a true believer of every lie in the book. He's also a member of the anti-gun, Joyce Foundation sock puppet organization known as the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

With decreasing funds, increasing irrelevance, and a congress terrified of gun control, this may be the gun control movement's last hope: Someone as ideologically anti-gun as they are.