Why we need the gun registry

A number of raids throughout Toronto last week by police resulted in the recovery of at least eleven guns, originally from a batch of fifty-three guns stolen from a downtown apartment in February. An Uzi sub-machine gun, fifty handguns, and two shotguns were stolen from safes within the apartment between February 18 and 21. On March 11, Toronto police officers, members from the Gun and Gang Task force, and Peel region police seized the Uzi, ten handguns, and another pistol unrelated to the Isabella Street burglary. The guns were taken from the fourth-floor apartment of lawyer and gun collector Calvin Martin, who at the time was in the hospital. After the burglary, police seized an addition one hundred and seventy guns and ammmunition from Martin's apartment for safekeeping.

Martin's guns were legally owned and stored within his aparment, who also had permits for all of his guns. He is also a former director of the Ontario Handgun Association. Despite that Martin's weapons and ammunition were stored in safes in a locked room, the thieves were able to break in and steam them.

Constable Tony Vella of the Metropolitan Toronto Police said:

Obviously it’s concerning the number of firearms that were stolen and that there are firearms still missing. We’re doing everything possible to locate the additional firearms.

Five men now face five hundred and forty-six charges in the case, and the police have asked the public for help finding the rest of the guns stolen from the apartment on Isabella Street (near Yonge and Bloor Street East). Dwight Longmore, 21, of Brampton; Calvin Clarke, 24, of Toronto; Desmond Espeut, 23, of Innisfil; Robert Thelwell, 29, of Brampton; and Fortunato Zappone, 32, of Toronto all face several gun charges.