Juvenile Homicide amongst gang members has been on a recent rise. Today, younger people are joining gangs and they are responsible for many of the violent acts committed in our society. "An estimated 3,340 member-based gang homicides were committed in the United States in 1997. The national homicide total was 18,210 in 1997 and youth gangs were involved in eighteen percent of homicides nationwide." (Youth Violence)
             According to David L. Bender "the bigger a gang gets the more violent and evil it becomes". (Youth Violence). David L. Bender believes that there are distinct differences between large and small gangs. The biggest distinction is between the weapons used by small and large gangs to commit criminal behavior , including juvenile homicide. He stated that small gangs are primarily known to use knives, chains, clubs, and homemade zip guns. Large gangs are known for their organized arsenals, which include sophisticated assault rifles, submachine guns, antitank weapons, and high powered explosives. David L. Bender concluded that bigger gangs cause a greater catastrophic number of criminal acts, including juvenile homicide. David L Bender also stated that these weapons are involved in many criminal situations. Juveniles most commonly use these weapons in cases of revenge or retaliation. (Youth Violence)
             In certain acts of juvenile crime, guns are used in drive-by shootings to shoot a member from another rival gang. Many times, these careless acts end up killing innocent victims, and sometimes, members of their own gang. (Youth Violence). David L. Bender states that "many times these people do not know what they are physically doing with the deadly weapon. Many times, they do not care who they hurt or kill in the process of their criminal action.
             Paul A. Strasburg states that guns are one of the most important processions for gang members. He believes that today's gang members are more dangerous ...