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Talks on gun reform are ramping up nationwide following the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott claims tougher gun laws are not a “real solution” to preventing gun violence, using Chicago’s gun laws as his example.
“I hate to say this, but there are more people who were shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas,” Abbott said “And we need to realize that people who think that, well, maybe if we could just implement tougher gun laws, it’s going to solve it, Chicago and L.A. and New York disprove that thesis. And so, if you’re looking for a real solution, Chicago teaches that what you’re talking about is not a real solution.”
The Better Government Association’s PolitiFact reporter fact-checked the claim and there are many to be revealed that show the claim is false.
“What he fails to consider is the geography and that is the police department says that 60 percent of the guns used in Chicago come from states like Indiana where the gun laws more resemble Texas and they’re much much easier to get,” said BGA investigative editor David Kidwell.
“A more accurate comparison is California and New York, both of which are surrounded by states with more strict gun laws. And if you look at the per capita gun deaths in those states, they’re much lower than Texas and Chicago,” said Kidwell.
The latest crime data released this week by the Chicago Police Department shows gun violence is down compared to this time last year.
Leaders have long said guns coming into the city from other states contribute to Chicago’s gun problem.
