CHICAGO (AP) — The mass shooting at an Oregon community college last week has thrust the debate over the nation’s gun laws to the center of the presidential race.
At least some of the Republicans who are running have pointed to Chicago as proof that gun control laws don’t work.
The city, which has a reputation for having some of the country’s strictest gun laws, has experienced an increase in homicides and shootings this year. Republican candidates Donald Trump, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and businesswoman Carly Fiorina say proves their point.
But Chicago’s gun laws aren’t as tough as their reputation suggests. They once were, but courts have overturned or gutted many of the laws in recent years, forcing a city that once banned handguns and gun shops to allow them both.
