According to Reuters, "The two brothers suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings, who police say
engaged in a gun battle early Friday after a frenzied manhunt, were not licensed to own guns in the
towns where they lived."
This means the handguns and "at least one rifle" the brothers had with them were acquired and possessed
in ways that broke laws already in existence.
For example, to have acquired and possessed the firearms legally, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder brother,
would have first needed "to apply for a gun license with the local police department where he lived in
Cambridge, Massachusetts."
In Massachusetts, a Firearms Identification Card (FID) is required before buying, transporting, or
possessing a firearm.
Another example of how new gun control laws will not deter criminals who have been ignoring
the old laws for years.