| Guns: the law | - possession of a firearm carries a mandatory 5 year jail term for offenders aged 21+
- PM Tony Blair wants age reduced to 17
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Jessie James isn't the first teenager to be shot dead in Manchester. And, sadly, he won't be the last. Recent shootings in the city, and the killing of three London teenagers in the past fortnight, suggest the problem is here to stay.  | | Guns: the law on the streets |
Jessie, who was not a member of any gang, was gunned down in September 2006 cycling through Broadfield Park in Moss Side. No arrests have been made but it's believed he was the innocent victim of a gang war. The culture of guns and gangs in areas like Moss Side, Cheetham Hill and Longsight is well established where youngsters carry weapons for self-protection, to gain respect or in relation to dealing in drugs. What hasn't changed is this: young gang members are settling feuds with firearms. And innocent victims are getting caught in the crossfire. Blair on gun crimeTony Blair wants to lower the age to 17 at which young people can receive long prison sentences for possessing a gun. Announcing a firearms law review, he said he was considering lowering the age from 21 for a mandatory five-year jail term for carrying a gun. ![Tony Blair in Moss Side [pic: PA]](/staticarchive/ff8febaeb9f3bc3785c194fc350ac154dbc8256f.jpg) | | Tony Blair in Moss Side [pic: PA] |
But critics say gang leaders will just get even younger kids to carry their weapons, who will then be sucked into a culture of gun crime. During a visit to Moss Side (23 Feb 2007) organised by reformed gang members, the Prime Minister said: "You will never solve this through tougher laws, but you still need tough laws. In other words, it's important that if people are carrying firearms illegally then they're properly dealt with." And praising locally-run projects in Moss Side, Mr Blair said: "One of the things I've learned today is that we need to use people who've done it, been there, gone through it and changed their lives to help change the lives of others. Because when you come to somewhere like Moss Side you can see a massive amount of positive things going on. But for some of these kids they're going off the rails at an early age and then they've got no prospects at all." MessageboardWhat's the answer? Will lowering the age for gun crime make a difference? Or will it just put younger children in the line of fire? Can society help young people escape the cycle of deprivation and gang culture? | 
