Canada has gone from a country with sorta OK gun laws to a gun rights nightmare in a pretty short time. Among other things are extremely tight restrictions on handguns.

For gun control advocates, this makes sense. Handguns are the go-to firearm for criminals in most cases and if you're inclined to believe that gun control works, then this is just what the doctor ordered.

But for Toronto, at least, this isn't working out very well.

I've talked about how shootings have increased despite the restrictions, which doesn't really surprise me and I'm sure it doesn't surprise you, either.

But it just feels like the media is sooooooooo close to getting it, only to miss it entirely.

Lots and lots of them — and all illegally smuggled into Canada from the United States. So many, in fact, that this birthday gathering easily could ended up as a death day party — for dozens of people.

The city dodged a bullet. Actually, 54.

Police believe a video posted to social media showing people dancing to rap music and waving their guns in the air is related to this case and is a big part of their ongoing probe as they sort out the two rival gangs and the motive. While the guns were inside, police say, the shooting happened outside when a car came into the area with occupants who shot toward people exiting the party who in turn returned fire. 

This was a war on the streets of Toronto. Dodge City or the Wild West are descriptors that have been used with this one. But others say it reminds of Chicago on any weekend or East Los Angeles. Toronto, say police sources, now has the same supply of American guns that those cities do. This is why we have had 116 more shootings this year over last year, according to Toronto Police statistics. 

...

“These weapons serve as a stark reminder of the real and present danger that illegal firearms pose to our community, to innocent citizens, and to our officers who bravely respond to these incidents,” Matthews said. 

Police seized 16 in this incident but not before 54 rounds went off. They managed to make the arrests before 50 more bullets in the chamber were set to fire. 

“Many of the firearms seized were modified in order to be capable of fully automatic fire,” Insp. Paul Krawczyk of the Integrated Gun and Gang Task Force explained to reporters.

They just seem so close to getting it. They acknowledge the guns are illegal, that criminals are smuggling them in from the United States, thus bypassing every restriction intended to keep them disarmed, and then...

Nothing.

They just miss the point entirely.

These are criminals. They're illegally smuggling in guns from the United States, thus breaking laws in both countries, then providing those guns to people who can afford them, who then tear up the city and shoot anyone they want. Meanwhile, the law-abiding citizens of Toronto are sitting there wishing they could buy a handgun so they could protect themselves but they can't.

Plus, they mention American cities, but the current data suggests that shootings are actually down here despite there being no real changes in gun control laws, at least concerning handgun sales. Meanwhile, the tight restrictions up that way seem to be resulting in an increase in shootings in the supposedly safe Canada.

It's almost like gun control doesn't make people safer.

Nah, that can't be it. Those activists were pretty adamant. They couldn't possible be blinded by their own desires or anything, now could they?