Studies show that the vast majority of gun crimes are being committed by people who are in possession of an illegal firearm, as was the case in the above story. In many of the cases I've looked at, It doesn't seem that the justice system is treating "felon in possession of a firearm" as seriously as they might. Nor, does it seem that a lot of effort is being put into discovering where, and from whom, the illegal firearms were acquired.Detroit — Detroit parents were charged Saturday in the nonfatal shooting of their 3-year-old son on March 9, the county prosecutor's office said.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Anthony Smith, 32, with second-degree child abuse, felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of felony firearm. Tenisha Christian, 39, has also been charged with felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of felony firearm.
The parents were arraigned Saturday in Detroit's 34th District Court. Smith's bond was set at $10,000 and Christian's bond was set at $5,000. Their preliminary examination has not been set.
If we are truly interested in reducing gun crime in our state, I think it's time to consider enacting much stiffer sentences for illegal ownership. If you're a convicted felon caught with a firearm, 20-years. Period. If you are caught providing a firearm to a convicted felon, again, 20-years. Period. I would also allow prosecutors to shave a portion of that sentence if the felon agrees to identify the person or persons that they acquired the illegal firearm from.
Focusing on the people that are actually committing crimes with guns just makes sense.