Revolving door

Jamal LaFortune began his criminal career just two months after his 18th birthday, when he was arrested for  First Degree Misdemeanor Battery. It is entirely possible that his criminal career began before that, but the state of Florida doesn't release the criminal records of minors.

Over the next six months, he would be arrested 4 more times for crimes including prowling, grand theft of a motor vehicle, possession of burglary tools with intent, and trespassing. After that, he progressed to the big boy crimes. Before his 20th birthday, he would be arrested twice for aggravated assault and aggravated assault with a firearm. He was a convicted felon before he was even 21.

He was arrested seven more times in the next year for a list of felonies including armed robbery, drug offenses, credit card fraud, and theft. 

Less than a month after his 21st birthday, he entered an Orlando area theme park and opened fire on the crowd. Only the fact that he had bad aim prevented him from becoming another national news story.

In three years, he had amassed a total of  10 arrests that included 5 felony convictions- three of those included aggravated battery with a firearm, yet he was still walking around, a free man. At the time of this shooting, he was out on bail after being arrested for multiple armed robberies in the Orlando area. The last felony arrest for which he was convicted included possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, 5 counts of possession of ammunition by a felon, 2 counts of possession of drugs, and grand theft of $5000 or more. Each of those felonies could have carried a penalty of 15 years. Additionally, he qualified to be a habitual violent felon.

Yet, he was out on the streets, committing more violent crimes, while out on bail. Again and again. Even after his conviction, he was out in less than three months. 

Tell me again how firearms are the problem.