More Criminals Turning to Friends for Guns
From Times Wire Reports
More gun-toting criminals are turning to friends and family for weapons rather than buying them at stores, gun shows or flea markets, the Justice Department reported.
Nearly 40% of state prison inmates in 1997 who used or possessed a firearm during their crimes got the weapon from a friend or relative, compared with 34% in 1991.
Over the same period, the percentage of those inmates who bought or traded for their gun at a pawnshop, flea market or retail outlet fell from 21% to 14%.
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