Illegal guns sourced in Canada surge compared to those smuggled from U.S
The number of guns obtained legally in Canada but are then sold to people who use them for criminal purposes has surged dramatically in recent years compared to firearms smuggled from the United States, Toronto police say.
In recent years, they say, investigators have noticed a stark shift in where guns used to commit crimes are coming from.
Before 2012, about 75 per cent of the firearms were trafficked from the United States. By 2017, however, about half originated from domestic sources, putting an end to the idea that most of Canada's illegal guns come from across the border, Det. Rob Di Danieli of the guns and gangs unit said.
Legal Canadian gun owners are selling their weapons illegally, Di Danieli said, noting that police have seen more than 40 such cases in recent years.
The allure of a quick sell at a high profit margin is one reason legal owners might sell their guns. One man sold 47 guns and made over $100,000 in a five month period, the detective said.
"They go get their licence for the purpose of becoming a firearms trafficker," Di Danieli said. "A lot of people are so ready to blame the big bad Americans, but we had our own little problem here."
The comments come as Toronto reels from a Sunday night handgun attack on a busy east-end street that left three people, including the gunman, dead and another 13 injured. The gunman has been identified as 29-year-old Faisal Hussain.
Overall, understanding the source of guns used criminally has also taken on a new urgency in light of the city's 220 shootings this year and 27 deaths as of July 9.