I pray for the poor family of this lad my heart goes out to you.

What do we expect, as a nation we are so passive. We ask whats going on? But we dont look at ourselves Fatherless families in the 10's of thousands, morals gone out of the window, tolerance of drugs, sex and general loose living. Take a look Britain, there is nothing Great anymore.

Nathan Marriott, Birmingham, West Midlands

The Metropolitan Police spent a fortune on sexy adverts warning of "mandatory" five year sentences for illegal possession of firearms in their drive to stamp out gun crime Yet :-

“Youth detained for possessing gun
A 19-year-old has been sent to a youth detention centre for 28 months after being convicted of possessing an illegal pistol, the Old Bailey ruled.
A converted Bruni self-loading pistol and live 9mm bullets were found in Craig Dyer's possession. “

Well that’s NOT 5 years is it ? closer to 9 months.
Typical New Labour spin backed by arch-gutlessness.

DK, London, UK

The people we elect to govern us and bring about laws to enhance our way of life are responsible. If we dont feel safe in our communities then those we elect are responsible. All of the law abiding citizens agree that discipline is required to establish correct guidelines of acceptable behaviour and when the rights of the perpetrators are greater than the victims, as our elected parliament wishes to promote, then this situation will not alter, indeed to ignore these events is to accept them which leads to further encouragement as we have seen.

Tam, Glasgow, lanarkshire

Its quite simple really...satan has more rights than ordinary people because it makes money out of it...

Hugh, London, Albion

Sir Robert Peel had the answer: a patrolling police force. And that means foot patrols. Police patrol cars are just like any other cars - they may be able to detect crime, but they have no deterrent effect whatever. In the days when you knew that a bobby on the beat might be coming round the next corner at any minute, you didn't go around shooting people on the street. I had the good fortune to be brought up when the police force did its job, and I hope and pray that those days will return.

Edmund Burke, Kingston upon Thames, England

im discusted with this a little boy taken how can people do this sickening act

emma, birmingham, uk

My condolences to this poor wee lads family.
It is about time the so called government stepped in. Not telling us what to eat, not to smoke and excerise. Stop these yobs with guns. Anyone with an illegal firearm should be given life. If its used or not. I mean life, not 7 years! No matter what the age. The problem is the " They are too young to prosicute" culture we have.
I'm a 40 something and I have brought my children up with manners, to open doors and give up seats to senior members of our country. How sad the country I love is heading this way.

Len, Oban, Argyll

I am a mother aswell and I cant even imagine what the family of Reece Jones is going through. I am not British so have a comparison between Brtish police and back home and have to say that they are way too soft, so is the law in this country, On top of this, prison do not even seem to be a punishment anymore, plus now becoming overcrowded so less criminals are being sent there, awful. Death penalty would help!!!
We are living in times where our kids dont get to experience freedom at all because of the tragic events like the killing of RJ.

Anna, staines,

Mr groutage, although i concur that the problem is terrible and is getting worse please do not make the ignorant statement that black fathers disappear as soon as the mother is pregnant. Speaking as a black father in Moss Side who has seen many differing reasons as to why the situation around us has gotten worse i find this offensive. I know that we always see and hear that it is black people who are dying and doing the killing but as i am sure you are aware, on this occasion the poor victim was white. I think a greater contributor to crime than ethnicity is POVERTY an issue that has not effectively been addressed.

MS, Moss Side, Manchester

To stop these disgusting people.

Let the punishment fit the crime.

Nothing else is working

Boojum, London,

In response to "name not given" it is indeed a tragedy whenever anyone is shot. At the age of eleven its a disaster. What concerns me is that we get partial information from the police etc "gangs" are suggested but not clarified. Was the boy absolutely an innocent bystander" Do children in Liverpool roam the streets armed on bikes to do drive by shootings? How do the people in a pub know the boy to give a character reference?

dalesman, leeds, england

i think all guns and shape nifes should be band and i think its wrong if people think its ok to go round shooting or stabbing kids if that was one of my kids or a family member then god help the person that done it

paul, bridport, dorset

We live in what is regarded as an 'affluent' area, with no trouble apparent, yet my 7 year old son came home from school the other day talking about gangster rappers. He said that his friend had told him about how 'cool' they were and had been showing my son how to walk and act like one.

I impressed upon my son the fact that 'gangsters' were nasty people and that the term 'gangster' meant someone who achieved their aims via violence, lying and generally being a horrible person and not by hard work, being kind or earning money in a nice way. I told him that many people were killed by gangsters.

Children are being exposed to all manner of evil because their parents do not take the time to engage with them properly and instead, prefer the 'babysitting' methods provided by DVD's/computer games, rather than employing methods which aid/promote an interest in learning/helping others and looking for the positive in all things, instead of the tenebrous.

Anna, London, UK

I emigrated to New Zealand several years ago. At that time I was tired of having to carefully wade through tin foil wraps and discarded syringes, enroute to the paper shop......in a quiet regional southern town. It's steadily worsened I'm told. This sort of violence is indicative of where the UK's headed I'm afraid. Decision validated.

steve p, Christchurch, nz

Re-instate capital punishment there are no deterants in the UK; among the yob culture a prison sentence is seen as a badge of honour to be looked up to rather than showing that the offender is not welcome in a civilised society. The UK spends to much time being PC correct listening to the 'do gooders' and the 'human rights groups' and not enough time taking the oppinions of the majority of people. Let have a referendum now and see how many would back the use of the death sentence for murder. I would for one.

Steve Foster, Dubai, UAE

I should have to re-consider whereter I would come to study in UK in the coming years if this continues. This really concerns everyone in UK- whereter they are foreigners of locals, as anyone could be gunned down for no apparent reason at all.

The police force must act fast if they want to prevent more shootings from happening.

I’m sorry for Reece Jones and others who had suffer the same fate.

My condolences, with regards

Iroshi, Puchong, Malaysia

More parental control is required, especially in the homes of black families where the fathers disapear as soon as the mother is found to be pregnant. They must be made to take responsability for their children. Less PC, smack them, make them know the difference between right and wrong. I wonder , has it all gone really wrong since Jock Blair and Jock Brown have been in power. Their education, education, education and tough on crime donn`t seem to be working.

RAymond Groutage, Ringwood, Hampshire, ENGLAND

Well, it seems as if the old adage has been proved: "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

Not a good thing.

Stephanie Smith, Denver, Colorado, USA

Lackluster parenting allows 1 kid to ruin the lives of dozens by taking another kid's life. It's sickening.

It seems that nowadays, our children will have to go thru a psych-eval prior to each school year.

Steve, Murraysville, PA

MATRIX?

Pierre Bernardi, Paris, France

Let's have a police presence on each street corner - all the time in these areas. Proper police - not the 'dummy' ones.

Labour has tied the police up with too much red tape and target chasing. Let's start by kicking them out first, getting out of the EHRA and then we can get to grips with the problems.

Phil, Preston,

Im a grown man and this brings tears to my eyes, that such a terrible thing can happen to such a innocent child, it is sickining,my deepest sympathies to the family.

James, Leeds,

Why not ban all guns, ALL guns absolutely, NOW, that would be a start.

D. Kenrick, Stockport,

I say hooded tops should be banned, just like full face burkha's. For security reasons of course.

Mohammed, London, UK

An 11 year old dies & we are so de sensitised that it is probably treated as "how awful". We see death in the media every day but why should an innocent child die for a reason most of us will never understand? We should promote the good in all of us & I know because I work with the most disenfranchised people we will ever meet. I see their good.

Denise Taverner, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Sorry for being "old fashioned" but I put the blaim down to the children's up-bringing and that means parents! Look what has happened to our family culture in the last decade. We have adults and young people avoiding marriage but having kids or rather divorce just for the hell of it. We also have growing under-age sex and teenage pregnancies on rise. Culture, culture, culture - we make and grow our culture for goodness sake and this is what we have done! In addition, children also have too much legal protection at the moment, I say put them in the army, send them to a school in the 60s, keep them in school and let smacking be legal. This may sound extreme but what is happening right now is extreme too. We need hard and punishing consequences for this.

Ann, London,

Lack of humanity causes this incident. Elder generation has to teach humanity to a younger generation.
I think, It is not our choice option, but inevitable duty.

vanyla, sadong, korea

when will people realise that they are now living in a police state, if you think you have any rights, you are kidding yourself, why do you think so many are moving abroard, This country has had it, it pays out money to every scrounger that comes over here with on intention of working, and nothing to the people who have to work to keep these scroungers

peter stallard, wolverhampton, west midlands

I think this is an absolutely disturbing story, the fact that now the children are getting younger!!! I believe we really need to sort this out, and definatly hand out stronger punishments! It has gone past the point of saying that these people just need help, they need a lot more than that! Something needs to be done and quick, or we are going to be over run by silly daft people who NORMAL people will eventually fear!!!


My thoughts go out to the boy's family, may he rest in peace.

Amy, Hartlepool, England

I live in Minnesota. We recently passed a Right to carry a concealed weapn law. In States where these laws have been enacted, violent crimes against persons have declined significantly and NO permit holders have misused their weapons. Since the inception of GB handgun law, your violent crime rate has skyrocketed. See any connection?

William McGhee, Plymouth , Minnesota USA

Symphathy to the boys family and friends and to all those around the country who have been effected by gun and knife crimes.
So many young people's lives gone to waste.
I have no anwser but hope that something positive can be done to stop this mindless violence.

Morrigan, Cardiff,

Yes of course, Andrew Milner, the answer is to bring more guns into more homes.

There is only one point to fire-arms - to maim, or kill. The view that having a gun is the only respectable way to defend your home is irresponsible and naive.

Less guns, more education, and more community action are needed to stop the senseless destruction of lives in this country.

Amelia, London, (Hackney)

When will people realise that today's violence has grown with each generation of children whose parents have never been taught manners, respect, allowed to roam wild, etc., and this anti-social behaviour will continue to grow unless steps are taken now to alleviate the problem.
The police are no deterrent to anyone these days, and there are not enough police on the beat to make an impact on any would-be-criminal.
Degeneration in our society bagan when school punishments were outlawed, as the older generation knew there would be reprisals for any misdemeanour. Bring back some form of punishment that will make children think twice about their anti-social behaviour.
The government outlawed school punishments as we are a 'civilised nation'! What is civilised about our country? Our nation? GREAT Britain? I don't think so!
Bring back stronger deterrents, and soon!!!

Liz, Darwen, Lancashire

Ian
Oh yes - there's a ban on handguns. All that means is that law-abiding people like myself can no longer pursue the sport of pistol shooting. All because ONE legal gun owner went berserk and killed some children in a Scottish school.
If only the government were as keen on pursuing gun-toting criminals as they were on persecuting and prosecuting ordinary citizens for various minor offences. But that would require a lot more effort.

Tony Jones, Grantham, Lincs

It will take resolve and determination to solve the problem of gun crime, but I fear UK politicians/the police today have neither the resolve nor the determination. My initial suggestions would be re-introduce proper foot patrols for the police (as both deterrent and to aid faster response in the event of an incident) and re-introduce the death penalty for pre-meditated murder (as both deterrent and to ensure anyone convicted and executed will not reoffend). Both of these measures would be well worth a try as a starting point, but who is there in the current political landscape who would even think of suggesting such things? I wish someone in authority would admit that not all the political and cultural changes made in the last 40-50 years have had the anticipated results, and that it would be worth a try reintroducing measures which were once effective. But don't hold your breath, as this might involve acceptance of some blame for the way things have turned out.

Jon Burgess, Douglas, Isle of Man

How convenient to blame Margaret Thatcher. Place it where it belongs: the present government has had more than ten years in powerand, during this time, it has presided over the disintegration of the family and has failed utterly to deal with the problem of violence and alienated youth. All the Labour Party is good for, is for raising ever more taxes (what does it NEED all the money for, for heavens' sake?) and passing ever more useless and unnecessary laws.

J. Grix, Aspet,

I have lived and worked abroad most of my life, in many different parts of the world and I can honestly say that in my opinion the UK is one of most sick countries in terms of violence and crime in general in the Western world. It doesn't surprise me though because the British people (and I'm British myself) are very uptight and aggressive compared to other people in Europe ESPECIALLY when alcohol is in the picture.The poverty here is horrendous and yet the British Government continues to pump billions into the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, causing the death and destruction of thousands of people and their homes over there. Tony Blair has walked out and left a mess behind!!! Karma.

Sworruba, Glasgow,

I regret to say that it is now time to pass some serious and possibly draconian laws regarding firearms. I believe the unlicensed possession alone should attract penalties such as forfeiture of ALL posessions including cars etc but excluding shared housing; a prison sentence of at least 5 years separate from any other sentence relating to a specific allied criminal act. Do not bring back National Service, the military does not want these thugs, and teaching them how to shoot better is probably not a good idea. Offenders under 18 attract the same sentence, but it is to be served by the parents.

Until our society re-learns the basics of self-discipline, then an imposed disciplinary regime is the only remaining option. Whether we like to admit it or not, discipline of any form is ultimately based on fear (from peer pressure, loss of honour or respect etc). Therefore we must visit on these citizens a fear much greater than any other influences on their actions.

Jonathan Mills, Brighton,

People here criticising the police and the Government are in the minority. Gordon Brown's welfare state has benefited more voters in this country than it will ever hinder. So many people getting so many free hand-outs. They don’t care about what is happening to this country, they just want their money. They will vote Labour again and the police will continue to be soft on their 'home-alone' offspring! Call Gordon Brown a lot of things but he’s not stupid - he knows who’s going to vote for him.

Rod Munch, Northampton, UK

Perhaps some people now believe that even if they're caught then the penalties just aren't enough to deter them. Other, normally law-abiding people, no longer believe in the ability of the police and the courts to protect them and so take steps to protect themselves. We've seen a rash of such cases recently where the victim of crime gets arrested as well.

Regretably, the idealistic world that so many otherwise intelligent campaigners strive for comes apart all too easily. Basic human instrincts haven't changed in millennia and civilisation is only a thin veneer - look at the former Yugoslavia for evidence of what happens when the bullies gain control.

To live in a free society we must be very firm with those who would deny basics freedoms to others. Quite simply, if the penalties for a crime do not act as a deterrent then the crimes will be repeated. No amount of woolly liberal thinking and the bucking of responsibility will stop this.

Steamkettle, Gosport, UK

Can't help agreeing with Stewart in Rugby... one of the problems is that the sentences people get if caught for these crimes are not a deterent. Philip Lawrence is a point in case. He got the death sentence, his family got a life sentence and the killer will do 12 years. If people who killed in cold blood were looking at thirty years before they even were considered for relase, then maybe spome of the them would think again and this sort of thing would not happen so often.

Andrew Brown, derby, UK

Banning hand guns in 1997 hasn't stopped gun crime

Why?

It's this simple, the hand gun ban only removed hand guns from people who had the grant of aFirearm certificates and to have the grant of a firearms certificate you have to be a law abidding citizen without the slightest hint of a criminal record.

It's about time that people woke up to the fact that over the last 10 years we've all been lied to with regards to gun crime and the tragedy is another another dead child and grieving parents

Rhonddaguy, Didcot, UK

Nothing to do with the gun and knife culture being brought into this country by immigrants of course.

Nothing to do with the violence shown on films and computer games? I have watched films where someone has been beaten so badly that they would be dead but they get up and start fighting again, or they get shot or knifed and still keep moving. This gives an unrealistic view of what a human body can take for a start.

Sounds as if Martin-Baldwin Edwards has been watching too much Catherine Tate and other tasteless programmes. It makes me cringe that TV programmes depicting the British are shown abroad and appear to be making an impression that they are typical of British life.

But I do blame parents for not keeping control of their children.

Christine in Hayes, Hayes, Middlesex, England

But the yobs have been reported to cause so much anguish and everytime they are brought to Justice, parents do their utmost to get them free, and Justice seems to be so leneant.
The British Education Systems is producing these yobs. This is another feather in the cap for Labour.

anthony cauchi, st julians, Malta

How can the UK have a "gun epidemic"? You folks outlawed those things, remember? You mean, IT'S NOT WORKING? Hence the bumper sticker adage in the States, "When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." Like, duh...

Peter Thurmond, Cheyenne, Oklahoma, USA

i cant believe this awful incident has happened. I work with children aged 10-15 and they are a fantastic bunch of really good kids, so it sickens me to think someone possibly in that age bracket themselves could do this to another young person. Id been shocked by recent news stories of these young people being murdered anyway but now to be an 11 year old boy - not even a teenager yet - and its to be happening in my own city, i just dont know what to think. Im so in shock. I can not even imagine how horrific is must be for this poor little boys parents. As a new mum myself im increasingly wondering what life is ahead for my little one growing up in this mad world we seem to be living in...

Jo, Liverpool, uk

Time to bring back 'selective' national service. The youths involved in all these crimes against each other seem to want to be in a gang and use weapons.Perfect army cannon fodder.The British army are short of men,perfect solution.

Val Jones, london, UK

As a father, I am happy to have left the UK!

Chris, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Poor kid.

In every country there are stupid kids with stupid parents, who do stupid things.

A liberal country lets the smart people do the smartest things, and the stupid people do the stupidest things.

A price we pay for freedom?

MT, Woking, UK

I just do not know what to say anymore, my brother was murdered last november in a club he was 22 at the time and that is young, but it is now getting so ridiculous, i just cant comprehend what makes people this evil..11 year old child getting murdered, it's not even teenagers anymore. I am just so sorry for his family cos we are living this nightmare and i just know how agonising it is. I have another brother who just turned 12, what does the future hold for him.? These people make me feel sick. I hope they rot and suffer somewhere, they need to bring back capital punishment..

Juanita Arthur, london,

My thoughts are with this boys family, my heartfelt sympathy.

These guns and other weapons need to removed from our streets.

I have three grandchildren aged 7 - 14, and I do know that television, computer games and some of the music youngsters listen to has an impact on their behaviour. Sometimes they can't tell fantasy from reality.

Parents and other carers have a role to play, by paying attention to where the youngsters are, who they mix with, and what they do when they are all out together.

We all have a role to play in changing our society. We need to be addressing this problem urgently.

Lyn, Shifnal, Shropshire

I know it sounds like a worn record but lets face it, video games, television and cinema do influence people, young and old and have gradually broken down the romance and sensitivity in the human race. I sometimes think that programme makers, film producers et al come from a completely different planet....or have been placed among us to create mayhem! At the risk of sounding "old fashioned", unhip or whatever, there's an awful lot of evil on video and dvd, television and cinema and internet which we are frightened to censor. I never thought I would write something like this, I am a sixties educated liberal, pro-arts, non-political easy going human being who just wants everyone to have an equal opportunity for self realization and happiness but its almost impossible to step outside the front door in certain areas. Britain never expected this to happen in such a free thinking and democratic country....we do not live in a free world and that thought in Britain in 2007 is terrifying.

MADDISON, pontevedra,

I agree entirely with the comments posted by other ex-patriates like myself. What the hell is happening to the Country I once loved but now view with contempt? Your politicians and police have totally lost the plot with their slavish attempts to appear politically correct. The decent people of Britain have been let down by those they trusted to protect them. The political gesturing by senior police officers has become more important to those public servants than actually upholding the law. No wonder both they and the professional political elite are viewed as untrustworthy by the rest of the population.

Riley, Kiev, Ukraine

a sad sad world, so much pain, but as stated earlier we as a country reap what we have sown. bring all murderers to the electic chair

gary, coventry, west midlands

When I first visited England, donkey's years ago, what struck me most was the gentleness, the grace, of the vast majority of the people one encountered. The old lady that smiled to you and commented on the weather being so mild is a personification of the sense of humanity I have in mind that has slowly disappeared over the years.

Claudio, Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Handguns, (certain types are now more preferred than others) are increasingly being used. Many weapons are becoming available on the street to young people from an ever increasing "pool" or gun check out library. My training shows that such guns remain in circulation for five to 10 years.

The weapons are used to settle territorial disputes, slights and other perceived insults or threats.
The actions are considered legitimate among the young peoples groups.
Graffiti on neighbourhood walls can be decyphered as it contains hidden gang messages.

What we do not have in the U.K., ( where our fluid borders permit the relatively free flow of many types of small weapons), is an Integrated Ballistics identification system.

Apart from identifying the unique fingerprint of the barrel & bullet , this would also feed info into a National or International tracing Centre.
Such systems, once implemented, could track the guns history & link usage back to other crimes and possible owners.

Pat van der Veer , Wallasey ,Merseyside, England

Andrew, to give law-abiding citizens guns, would be trying to fight fire with fire, it wouldn't work. It would just lead us to be more like the US, where gun violence is 'normal', and that would never be a good thing. I agree with Stewart, there needs to be stronger deterrents, the government needs to stop pussyfooting around and make people afraid that they ARE going to be caught if they do something wrong, and that they WILL go to prison, and it won't be fun. Also there needs to be better education, not just in schools but in the family home, about how to respect one another, and how to respect life full stop.

If things don't change more terrible tragedies like this will happen.

Rebecca, Manchester, England

It`s good to see that the area in question has been designated a"dispersal zone"where the police can now carry out obvious common sense policing, chief constables are asking for less alcohol outlets,David Cameron wants restrictions on driving licences for teenagers,there are calls for longer sentences, etc., etc., looks good on paper but not much evidence of it being put into practice. Is there any chance that we might see some effective action on the streets?

jerym eedy, caerphilly, uk

The goverment should ban sale of all guns to children from the age of 9-28years of age.
I believe firmly the blame cannot be put on anyone or the parents but the goverment.
There is no system to stop these guns from children obtaining them. Sometimes the parents are not aware of the children possesing these knives or guns.
Goerge Brown ban guns being sold to children now.

tracey, liverpool, liverpool

Bring back the death penalty for child / police killers if the murderers are 18+. Maybe people will think about their actions before they carry them out...What an awful feeling having to shuffle towards a trap door, knowing your time has come.

kirk, Rotherham, UK

Will UK be like America in gun culture soon or its already there?
Shocking indeed.

Vinod Gupta, Billingham, UK

Enough is enough. Its time to cut the C**p, The do-gooders and PC. brigade have had their chance, and look what has happend. Murder and violent crime has increased and is spiraling out of control. There is only one true deterant.
Bring back the Death Penalty. I know it wont solve it completely, but if it save lives and cuts crime, then it is the only true deterant.

glenn, brixton, london, uk

Built in the 1980's!!!
The majorty if not all of the social planners in the UK seem to have zero idea of what it is like to grow up in a real ghetto. A place where the "boys and girls" in blue are the very least of your worries. Where you can live out your whole life without ever leaving the estate. Particularly if you die before you even make it to your teens.
Had no one been to Glasgow or Oxford or Bristol or Queens or Watts first to see a really big housing estate in action?
One measure of intelligence is the abiltity to see the likely outcome of ones actions ahead of time.
So what's the deal Westminster?
Obviously not stupid.
Votes involved?
Job security?
Didnt bother to look?
Dont have to live there?

Kevin Sheridan, Cape Town,

When Margaret Thatcher signed our borders away and made huge reductions in the number of Customs Officers she gave an open invitation to people bringing drugs and arms.

Sadly we are now plagued by her legacy. Sooner or later we need a government who will reverse the biggest of all her mistakes.

Jack Tudor, Leicestershire, Uk

Abigail, I totally agreed. It is simply getting worse and anarchy is just around the corner.
10 to 5 years ago I could not have imagined this type of crime being committed in the UK, let alone Liverpool.
Some of us (young people) need to sort ourselves out.
Frankly, I think the whole society is to blame starting with the parents all the way to the government.

This needs to be sorted out soon and legislations will not sort out all the problems connected with gun crime.

Jeancy, 18, London,

So what does this say to all the commentators on these forums who rant about 'council estate' hooligans and gangs?

This child lived in a private estate built during the 'wonderful' days of Margaret Thatchers home-owning revolution and his demise is as much a product of the attitudes fostered then as anything that has occured since.

eckythump, Salisbury, UK

I come from Johannesburg which is known as one of the most violent cities in the world. When I first came to the UK two years ago, I was pleased to realise how safe I felt and how much freedom that feeling offered me. However, that doesn't seem to be the case at the moment. I really find this recent spate of gun crime quite frightening and I think the authorities (the state as well as parents and teachers) need to do something to curb it now. 17 young lives lost in one year is far too much!!!

I am from a generation back in SA where not a lot of the people I grew up with are alive today (and maybe a part of the reason for that is the country's past history). This is a beautiful country with a lot to offer and I doubt anyone would like to see this violence escalate to the point of wiping out (or almost) a generation.

Mia, Herne Hill, London,

This is a disgrace W.hy is it allowed to happen on a housing estate What kind of children are we bringing into this world .Bring back national service asap.

vivienne wardell, liverpool, england

Where do these children get guns? This is simply appalling. What has happened to our communities? Killing an eleven year old? Tell me, when were things this bad? I thought there was a ban on guns.

Ian Burgess, Bristol,

I feel for my country, which is locked into a cycle of violence by and towards young people. However, most of the letters on the Times pages from the generation of their parents [or grandparents] explain easily how this has happened. The lack of grace, of tolerance, of general humanity which is displayed by so many British people 40+ is one obvious cause of teenage violence. You reap what you sow.

Martin Baldwin-Edwards, Athens, Greece

I wrote a comment in the times yesterday about the Phillip Lawrence killer that we want to let loose on the streets. It didn't published probably because I live in china and the "appalling Chinese Human Rights Issues". Appalling my foot! I know where I'd rather live right at this moment and its not the UK. In china, the law is the law and you disrespect it at you own risk. It is a real deterent. So assume you catch up with this offender. what will happen? Life? 15 years, but you actually mean 5 for good behaviour. Get on with it Britain, i'm afraid you've lost the plot with your politicians pandering to the EU and Human rights. You can keep your policical correctness, we'll settle for a bit of good common sense!

Stewart, Rugby, Warwickshire

People bring their problems with them. It doesn't matter where in the world you are.

Calvin Hobbes, LA USA,

Remind me because I'm confused. What were the reasons that private firearms ownership was banned? Responsible, mature, knowledgeable shooters were deprived of their overwhelming passion and in some cases livelihood: Something about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals. Sounds more like an essential pre-requisite for introduction of a police state. In any event, doesn't seem to have worked.
When guns are outlawed ...
If law and order in UK breaks down much more, there is be a case for rearming the law-abiding householders. Just hope there are enough shooters left tp perform the necessary training. Naturally the police will oppose this, but face it, they're part of the problem.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Nagano

I thought no one was legally allowed to have a handgun there?
You'd think there would be a way, in today's day and age, with today's technology, especially with how much surviellance there is in England, to detect guns on people's person.
We have come to accept gun violence as a way of life here, kind of like the SUV epidemic, hopefully it doesn't happen there, even on a lesser scale.

Gus, Los Angeles, USA / CA

absolughtly disgusting i have 10mth old baby and it worries me sick to bring him up in this world.

kerry, liverpool, england

when are the people of liverpool going to pull together and help each other instead of fighting each other, police included i am a 40 year old woman with three sons i work and i have witnessed the police intimidating young kids you tell me how are they supposed to have any respect when they cant go to the shop without living in fear not just of gangs but also the police our kids dont stand a chance in liverpool today and my heart goes out to the parents of that poor young boy whose life has been taken away and for what? can anyone answer that question and tell me what has been gained?

not given, liverpool merseyside, united kingdom

It's scary to think that we can't even allow are children to play outside, without fearing for their lives. And knowing it was pre meditated and the person who fired the gun was riding an ordinary bicycle, that is scary to think about also.

Abigail, Liverpool,

Yes. It is simply anarchy in the UK.


R.I.P.

Rick, Greater London, England