In the last couple of years, there have been many reports of guns turning up in schools. For many, this is a sign that more gun control is needed. After all, they argue, if teenagers can get guns, clearly more laws are needed.

Yet there are states that have a lot of gun control laws on the books.

One of those is Illinois. While not as bad as, say, New York, New Jersey, or California, they still have a lot more restrictions on guns than most places.

And yet, despite those laws, two different high schools had to deal with guns on campus.

A 15-year-old student brought a gun to Belleville East High School and a student brought a gun to Hazelwood West High School Tuesday.

School officials in Belleville were told about social media chatter that showed a 15-year-old student handling a gun before school Tuesday. The school resource officer and campus patrol located the 15-year-old and a 14-year-old student. They conducted a search and found a gun and ammunition, police say. Both teens were arrested. Police do not believe the gun was displayed at school.

“It does not appear to us at this time that the student had the weapon out–visible,” said Dr. Brian Mentzer, Belleville Township High School District superintendent.

A student also brought a gun to Hazelwood West High School Tuesday. Police tell News 4 the student was taken into custody and the gun was seized.

The report notes that this came one day after a shooting in a Saint Louis high school that claimed two innocent lives.

Many will no doubt use the Saint Louis shooting as evidence we need gun control laws. Yet as we see, they don’t seem to be doing much good in Illinois.

Sure, neither of these were mass shootings, but is that really the point? The only difference we see here is a matter of motive. Neither of these two seemed to intend to commit a mass shooting. The fact that they brought the gun suggests they could have done so rather easily if they wanted.

That means, as I said, it was a matter of motive only.

The truth of the matter is that if someone wants a gun, they’ll find a way to get a gun. There aren’t any barriers you can put up that would prevent them from doing that. The most you can do is inconvenience them a bit.

But Illinois and its gun control laws do more than inconvenience kids wanting to bring guns to school. It creates significant barriers for law-abiding citizens. While teenagers can get guns to take to school, law-abiding Illinois residents are waiting for their FOID cards so they can lawfully purchase a firearm. They’re trying to do everything right, but the criminals are arming up so much faster than the good guys can.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why this is a problem.

However, don’t expect anyone in Illinois to look at it that way. The state is in a continual push for more gun control, all while unable to do anything about the bad guys walking around.

Including those who are selling guns to school kids.