New York State is definitely divided when it comes to gun laws. Some residents want super relaxed gun permit laws, while others want the state to get rid of guns completely. I'm sure the debate won't end anytime soon. But, one thing isn't debatable, New York is at the top of the list when it comes to trafficked guns used in crimes.

Virtually every crime gun in the United States starts off as a legal firearm.

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The National Tracing Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is the United States government agency that traces the origins of guns used in crimes. 24/7 Wall St. analyzed tracing data to create a list of the states with the most trafficked guns,

To determine the states with the most trafficked guns, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the ATF Firearms Trace Data – 2020. States were ranked based on the percentage of guns recovered and traced by the ATF whose origins were determined to be in another state (not all firearms are traced).

Trafficked Legal Guns Get Used In Crimes

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When it comes to the debate about guns laws and if they actually stop crime, according to American Progress, former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Director Bradley Buckles stated,

Virtually every crime gun in the United States starts off as a legal firearm.

Legal guns, owned by 'law-abiding citizens' generally end up in the illegal marketplace through straw purchases, secondary sales by private sellers, and thefts from gun owners or dealers.

New York Among The Top States With Trafficked Guns Used In Crimes

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New Jersey took the top spot of states with the most trafficked guns with 88.5 percent of recovered guns coming from other states. New York is not far behind Jersey.

New York State Is Ranked #2 For Trafficked Guns

Of the guns used in crimes in New York that the NFTA traced, 87.5 percent were recovered from other states. Georgia is the top supplier of guns trafficked to New York.

> Total guns recovered and identified: 7,254 (16th highest)
> Top supplier state: Georgia (632 total guns)
> Violent crime rate: 363.8 per 100,000 (25th lowest)