California's gun control laws have blocked hundreds of thousands of lawful residents from being able to access their Second Amendment rights in a timely manner (and in some cases, preventing them from exercising those rights at all). But according to police in Oakland, California, those laws posed no problem for a 13-year-old boy who's accused of illegally acquiring a firearm and using it to murder a liquor store clerk in cold blood. 

Police announced an arrest in the death of Maged Alazzani last month, but only recently disclosed that Alazzani's accused killer is barely a teenager. Even more disturbing, perhaps, are the allegations that the teen, who has not been publicly identified because he's being charged as a minor, went on to commit at least two more armed robberies in the hours after Alazzani was murdered; first hitting another liquor store just 40 minutes after Alazzani was gunned down, and then robbing a Target store the next day.

The teen boy, an Oakland resident who turns 14 in July, has been charged with murder and attempted robbery in the Jan. 6 shooting of Alazzani, who was killed inside the Orlando Market on Linden Street in West Oakland, which his family owns. The boy has also been charged with robbing Jax Liquors in Oakland roughly 40 minutes later, authorities said.

In both instances, the boy had a male accomplice, but authorities say they’re still working to identify him.

The two robbers entered the Orlando Market a little after 8 p.m., the 13-year-old allegedly brandishing a firearm. When they got to the counter, the boy racked the gun and pointed it at Alazzani, who allegedly grabbed the barrel of the pistol and attempted to wrestle the gun away. 

Authorities say that’s when the youngster pulled the trigger. Alazzani was shot in the chest.

The father of four never made it home that night. 

California's gun control laws can't stop a 13-year-old from illegally getting ahold of a gun, but Gavin Newsom, his allies in the legislature, gun control activists, and the media can't stop pretending that the state's draconian regime is actually doing anything of value. It's men and women like Alazzani who are the only folks impacted by that regime. 

Anyone applying for a concealed carry permit in Alameda County has to fork over almost $200 for a license good only for two years, and that doesn't cover the cost of training, the mandatory psychological evaluation, fingerprinting fees, and the like, which drives up the costs even further. Meanwhile, the county's website alerts applicants that "the application process is a long, tedious, and meticulous process that starts but does not end with the interview." 

"Long and tedious" is one way to describe the months-long wait that most concealed carry applicants face after they've submitted their paperwork. "Blatantly unconstitutional" would be another. 

Are these lengthy delays and high costs keeping Oakland residents safe? Not at all. Last year the city had more than 120 homicides; more than 50 percent higher than the number of homicides in Oklahoma City, which has about 250,000 fewer residents than Oakland and is located in a state with Constitutional Carry in place. 

If anything, California's multiple infringements are empowering criminals and putting law-abiding citizens at risk. As Alazzani's death shows, it's much easier to get a gun illegally than it is to jump through all of the necessary hoops to acquire a firearm in compliance with California statutes. And thanks to the state's soft-on-crime policies, young defendants under the age of 16 who are accused of murder and other violent crimes can only be held behind bars until their 25th birthday. That not only encourages criminal behavior in juveniles, but provides an incentive for adults to get kids to do their dirty work for them. 

We may not be able to do much about the state's criminal justice "reforms", but we can undo California's unconstitutional actions against lawful gun owners. The California Rifle & Pistol Association is suing multiple law enforcement agencies over their absurdly high fee schedules, asinine mandates like psychological testing, and ridiculously long waiting periods, and if the group is successful, it will be at least a little easier for lawful gun owners to bear arms in self-defense when an emboldened criminal, underage or not, decides they look like an easy target.