, the 22-year-old man charged with Emerson’s murder was arrested in May 2022 “for assault with a ghost gun,” released by a Superior Court judge the following month, then had his trial delayed. He allegedly murdered Emerson four days before his rescheduled trial date.could be unfolding right before our eyes. Last week, a man who reportedly brandished a firearm and attacked Gaynor Jablonski, the owner of Valor Brewpub in Barracks Row, was offered a plea deal from the U.S.
These tragedies are the result not of insufficient gun laws but of a truly bizarre unwillingness to enforce current laws and punish violent criminals. Regardless of the intentions or excuses behind this type of prosecutorial discretion, it is clear that leaders in Washington aren’t serious about reducing violent crimes committed with guns, as they’re letting criminals in possession of illegal firearms get off scot-free.
Gun control laws, which only serve to punish law-abiding citizens and strip away people’s constitutional rights, are not the answer to this problem. Leaders in our nation’s capital should strongly consider setting aside the empty promises of gun restrictions, empower more responsible gun owners to protect themselves and their loved ones in public, and actually start holding violent criminals accountable.