FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Maj Toure is the founder of Black Guns Matter, a pro-gun organisation that aims to educate urban populations about their Second Amendment rights. He believes that years of prejudice have convinced urban populations to associate guns with crime rather than defending themselves, their communities and their rights.

BARCROFT Black Guns Matter founder Maj Toure said he could cut inner-city violence

Mr Toure, who was raised in north Philadelphia, said: “Growing up, people always told me that firearms were bad, and that if you have a firearm you either have to be the bad guy or you are law enforcement. “That's a lie. It's just not true. The problem is the lack of information and education about firearms and safety in urban areas.

BARCROFT Mr Toure said he would do so by giving greater access to legal firearms and knowledge

“There is a deliberate attempt to keep that information away from these highly populated areas because it's not about gun control, it's about people control.”

The problem is the lack of information and education about firearms and safety in urban areas Maj Toure

However, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence claims stats suggest removing guns from cities works better, saying 'guns make violent situations deadly'. Toure, who formed Black Guns Matter in 2016, has been taking his message across the United States for the past year, visiting areas such as Atlanta, Baltimore and Detroit. The 29-year-old has also visited Chicago, where there were 3,550 shooting incidents, 4,331 shooting victims and 762 murders in 2016.

Toure believes a greater understanding of laws and education around firearms in Chicago would bring more 'respect for the tool' and greater 'trigger discipline'. This along with better teaching of de-escalation tactics would help reduce gun violence. Toure, who is not affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement, said: “Clearly, gun legislation is not working. They have an extreme amount of gun control law and they still cracked 700 homicides last year.

BARCROFT Black Guns Matter is a pro-gun organisation that aims to educate about Second Amendment rights

“So what we do is inform the people better [about guns and the Second Amendment] to cut down on that. “Information is always better than just legislation. “A lot of times people in urban areas don't even associate the Second Amendment with the hood. “They associate the Second Amendment with guys in the military or crazy white guys down South. “My job is to make sure that everybody understands the Second Amendment is for every citizen of America.

BARCROFT Toure believes greater understanding of laws and education would bring more 'respect for the tool'