In this country, convicted felons aren’t permitted to own firearms. It’s part of the reason we conduct NICS background checks when guns are sold.

However, criminals have a nasty tendency to still get their hands on firearms. Take this “gentleman” from Washington state.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Investigators discovered a cache of guns, ammunition and three makeshift explosive devices at the Bellingham home of a convicted felon who is a suspect in a drive-by shooting last month, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said.

…

A search warrant served Tuesday morning uncovered three explosive devices — two described as a makeshift grenade and a third that was a dual-triggered bomb containing pellets and large screws, police said. Bomb squad technicians destroyed the explosive devices.

In addition, investigators found two rifles, a handgun, parts and tools used to make fully automatic guns, additional bomb making materials, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Well, now. Isn’t this special?

The felon, a man by the name of Robert K. Chase, is currently being held on charges related to the drive-by, but federal authorities are now looking into all this other stuff.

However, let’s be clear here. Nothing this man reportedly had was legal for him to own. Nothing at all.

Yet he still had the materials in his possession. He had a bomb, some makeshift grenades, several guns, and apparently the means to convert some or all of those guns into full automatics. It’s almost like he didn’t give a damn what the law said. He was going to do whatever he wanted to do not matter what.

This is the mindset of the American criminal. You block them from doing something, and they do it anyway.

I suspect he may have learned how to make the bombs by watching YouTube videos. If he was looking for tutorials on how to build guns, it’s too late for that, but he could still learn about bombs.

Not that it’s legal, mind you, but I can see how he got the bombs.

The firearms, however, were obtained illegally. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Chase is a felon. He knows he’s a felon. He knows he can’t own guns because he’s a felon.

That means Chase had to go through other means to purchase a gun, and don’t say it was a face-to-face transfer either. Washington state has universal background checks, though there does appear to be a lack of compliance on that matter. That means he purchased the guns illegally, kind of like how criminals everywhere else get their guns.

While we’re currently debating about guns in the national media, this is what gun rights advocates have been screaming about for years. Chase broke all the existing laws to obtain firearms. He was in possession of not just guns but also bombs, which were illegal for him to own. Criminals. Do. Not. Obey. Laws.

Period.

All the law does in Washington is make it more difficult for the law-abiding citizen. It didn’t stop Chase in the least.