Out-of-State Guns Used in Most NY Crimes

WNYC News | Jul 30, 2012

Federal data show most guns recovered from New York crimes last year originated in states with fewer legal restrictions, though the largest single source is still New York, where nearly 1,600 were first purchased.

The report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced 8,793 guns from New York crimes or investigations. They include 407 guns originally bought in Virginia, 368 in Pennsylvania, 349 in North Carolina, 328 in South Carolina, 341 in Florida and 332 in Georgia.

ATF officials call New York "a market state" for gun traffickers because it is highly regulated. Its laws prohibit machine guns and possessing handguns without a license.

Their 2011 report tracks 6,555 pistols and revolvers and more than 2,000 rifles, shotguns and 15 firearms.

Top Stories

The World Cup, the Knicks, and LeBron James’s Fate: An All-Time Summer in Sports

The near-collapsed Midtown building is now stable, but its finances may not be

NYC DSA on Their Big Wins, and the Future

Get Lit: Laila Lalami's 'The Dream Hotel,' and Imal Gnawa Performs

YOU ARE ONLINE