Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante wasted no time after the recent tragedy in calling for sweeping new gun restrictions, proving once again that anti-gun politicians treat every shooting as an opportunity rather than a moment for honest reflection on enforcement failures. Her push comes despite Canada’s already stringent licensing, registration, and “assault weapon” bans—measures that have done little to stop determined criminals from obtaining firearms through smuggling routes that flow freely across the U.S. border. The mayor’s rhetoric conveniently ignores that Montreal’s violent crime problems are concentrated in specific neighborhoods plagued by gang activity, where existing laws are already ignored by the very people new restrictions would never reach.

For American gun owners watching from across the border, this episode is a textbook example of the incrementalist playbook: declare an emergency, blame legal firearm owners, and expand the regulatory state without ever addressing the cultural and enforcement rot that actually drives urban violence. Canadian gun owners who once believed “reasonable” controls would satisfy authorities now face the prospect of further confiscations and storage rules that treat every citizen like a presumptive criminal. The lesson for the 2A community is clear—any concession framed as “common sense” quickly becomes the baseline for the next round of demands, and the only durable defense is consistent, principled resistance backed by electoral consequences for politicians who exploit tragedy.