Hours after 20-year old Richard Shoop fired a rifle into the ceiling inside the Westfield Garden State Plaza Mall, it became evident he had stolen the firearm.
Shoop walked into the mall wearing a motorcycle helmet and black clothing 10 minutes before the it closed on Nov. 4. He fired six shots into the ceiling, walked through the mall, and then killed himself in an area that was under construction.
According to USA Today, “Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said Shoop had stolen the rifle he used in the shooting from his brother.”
No amount of background checks would have made a difference because Shoop stole his firearm.
But while gun control does not stop those with criminal intent, it does prevent law-abiding citizens from arming themselves to defend their own lives. This is especially true in New Jersey, where gun control laws require law-abiding citizens to show “justifiable need to carry a handgun” before they are allowed to get a permit to carry a gun for self-defense.
In other words, they have to show “justifiable need” before being allowed to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights. Criminals, on the other hand, are not bound by these limitations.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins
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