The New Republic has dropped a bombshell opinion piece claiming the Second Amendment failed in the tragic case of Alex Peretti (noted with the quirky spelling Pretti in some headlines), a young woman killed in a horrific murder-suicide by her ex-boyfriend in New Mexico. The crux of their argument? That America’s gun culture, enshrined in the 2A, somehow enabled this monster to obtain a firearm legally and carry out his crime. It’s the classic anti-gun playbook: spotlight a heartbreaking domestic violence case, gloss over the perpetrator’s repeated failures by law enforcement and the judicial system, and pin the blame on the Constitution itself. Never mind that New Mexico’s red-flag laws and domestic violence restraining orders exist precisely for these scenarios—yet Peretti’s abuser slipped through because authorities didn’t enforce them rigorously.
Digging deeper, this narrative crumbles under scrutiny. The ex had a documented history of abuse, including violations of protective orders, but local cops and courts dropped the ball on revoking his gun rights under federal law (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8)), which already prohibits firearm possession by those under active restraining orders for domestic violence. The New Republic ignores how the real failure was bureaucratic inertia—sheriffs in red-flag states like New Mexico often underutilize these tools due to due process concerns or resource shortages, not some mythical 2A roadblock. In fact, data from the FBI’s NICS shows over 500,000 gun purchase denials since 1998 for domestic violence misdemeanants alone, proving the system works when it’s applied. This piece is less analysis than emotional blackmail, recycling the post-Parkland playbook to erode rights for law-abiding citizens while predators roam free.
For the 2A community, the implications are stark: every tragedy becomes fodder for disarming the innocent. Gun owners must counter with facts—advocate for better enforcement of existing laws, support tech like the NSSF’s Real Solutions for domestic violence prevention (including safe storage campaigns), and highlight how armed victims like Alex might have survived if empowered rather than rendered defenseless. The Second Amendment didn’t fail Alex Peretti; a broken system that punishes victims by proxy did. Let’s amplify stories of defensive gun uses (over 2.5 million annually per CDC estimates) and push back hard—because the next headline could be yours. Stay vigilant, patriots.
