When the Newtown shooting made the news, I had the following thought: just 24 hours earlier, there was news of an execution-style shooting near Times Square.

When the Newtown shooting made the news, I had the following thought: just 24 hours earlier, there was news of an execution-style shooting near Times Square. Even though the Times Square crime is less horrifying (fewer people, no children, etc.), I would say that it is more relevant for gun policy. Why? Only seven massacres in 2012, but tens of thousands of gang-related shootings. We have a problem with guns and crime, not with massacres. Massacres happen, and if there were no other murders to worry about I would say we should focus on massacres. The trend in gang violence is very clear: concealable weapons (handguns) purchased on the black market. If you want a sensible gun policy, you need to focus on handguns; gangs rarely use rifles because rifles are too difficult to conceal.