Even with the Bruen decision, there are still a lot of gun control laws on the books. Sure, as of now, there’s one fewer after a federal court found the ban on adults under 21 buying guns was unconstitutional.

This comes in the wake of a mass shooting in Allen, Texas nearly a week ago.

Needless to say, many people are unhappy with the ruling. In their minds, repealing a gun control law like this will open the door for previously underaged criminals to get guns.

Because the current laws do such a good job of keeping something like this from happening.

A 13-year-old boy described by authorities as a “hardened criminal” with “no regard for life” shot a police officer during a foot chase in Florida — and was wounded in the exchange of fire.

The gun battle unfolded after 5 p.m. Wednesday in the city of Lakeland as police officer Jamie Smith, formerly of the NYPD, was responding to a 911 call reporting a drive-by shooting a couple of blocks from Simpson Park.

Smith spotted the white Dodge Avenger mentioned on the call and pursued it in his patrol vehicle until the car stopped and three teens jumped out and took off running.

One of the suspects was seen brandishing a gun, Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor said during a press conference.

Smith, who has served on the force in Lakeland for two years after being recruited from New York, followed the armed suspect, later identified by the police chief as 13-year-old Wesley Dalmas.

Other officers confronted the 13-year-old alleged criminal and returned fire, hitting him three times. He was treated and released.

Now, let’s understand that yes, Florida is a fairly gun-friendly state. They don’t have a lot of gun control on the books, and that’s by design. They have more than they should, but they’re not exactly California.

What they don’t have, though, is any law at all that would allow a 13-year-old to walk around with a gun lawfully.

No, this is a kid who clearly broke the law by obtaining a gun and then using it in illegal activities.

There is no way an otherwise lawful transfer happened here. While some criminals might buy a gun via a face-to-face transfer from a law-abiding gun owner who is unaware of the buyer’s criminal history, that simply isn’t what happened here.

This is a 13-year-old kid. That would be a big, glaring red flag. No 13-year-old I know could pass for 21.

As such, this couldn’t have been a private transfer as you or I might conduct one.

No, this was either the kid stealing the gun or obtaining it via the black market. That’s something that all the gun control in the world won’t make go away. You simply can’t legislate it away and you can’t wish it away. It will always be here.

What you do in response, though, is make sure law-abiding citizens have the ability to protect themselves from those criminals who would do them harm.

Yes, even if they’re 13.