By , Neal Earley
Published December 20, 2015
Speaking to a national gathering of police chiefs on criminal justice reformTuesday, President Barack Obama shifted the blame ofChicago’s gun related violence to theneighboring state of Indiana.
Even though Chicago has some of the nation’sstrictest gun laws, the city still has one of the highest ratesof gun crimes in the U.S.
While Second Amendment advocates often point to Chicago as anexample of failing gun control laws, Obama put culpability onChicago’s gun violence on Indiana.
“There are those who criticize any gun safetyreforms by pointing to my hometown as an example,â€Obama said in his speech. “The problem with thatargument, as the Chicago Police Department will tell you, is that60 percent of guns recovered in crimes come from out ofstate. You’ve just got to hop acrossthe border.â€
Statistics from the City ofChicago also reported most gunsrecovered by police in Chicago come from out ofstate. Though statistics show that many guns come fromstates with more lax firearm laws. The city report noted thatspecifically Indiana, Wisconsin and Mississippi, do not have lawsrequiring background checks for guns purchased at gun shows or overthe internet.
While many of Chicago’s guns originate out ofstate, four firearm dealers in the Chicago area provide 20 percentof the guns recovered by police.
Indiana lawmakers did not take too well to Obama placing someblame on Chicago’s gun violence on their state.(RELATED: New Bill Would Force Americans To Pay$100 Tax On Any Gun Purchases)
“Blaming Chicago’s crimeproblems on Indiana is unfortunate and inaccurate,â€Matt Lloyd, a spokesman for Indiana Governor Mike Pence, saidin an interview with the Indianapolis Star.
Additionally, Indiana State Senator Jim Tomes, criticized Obamafor his rhetoric on Indiana’s gun laws.
“It doesn’t matter wherethe guns come from,†Tomes told the Indianapolis Star.“It’s a societal problem inChicago… I don’tknow what in the world Indiana could have to do with theirinability to deal with their criminal activity.â€
In response to Obama claiming Chicago gun violence is due tolack of gun control in other states, the National Rifle Associationpublished a Youtube video on Tuesday.
“He has all the laws he needs to stop thebloodshed now,†said NRA spokesman and CEO WayneLaPierre in the video, specifically referring to violence inChicago. “Under the existing federal gun laws,he could take every felon with a gun, drug dealer with a gun andcriminal gang-bangers with a gun off the street tomorrow, and lockthem up for five years or more, but he won’t doit.â€
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/president-obama-blames-chicagos-gun-problem-on-indiana