Figuring out complicated problems with only a few bits of information maddens some people.

My baldhead may need to be examined because while others cringed at those long mathematics word problems, I viewed them as a fun challenge.

Once upon a time I even enjoyed reading mystery novels to see if I could figure out the crime before the author let me in on the secret.

If only the problems facing our community were as easy as a math test problem or a Sherlock Holmes tale to solve.

Instead, some of the problems facing our area are far more complicated and far more frightening than anything Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle could imagine.

The headlines from our community provide clues to some of the problems.

In the last six or eight months we’ve seen some pretty awful things happen in our community.

Shootings, thefts and even arson, apparently committed by minors, have been more commonplace lately

Most recently a teenager’s body is found — apparently executed by multiple gunshots — dumped at the Natchez City Cemetery.

Natchez Police investigators quickly identified and arrested three suspects. Obviously, we do not know all the evidence yet and the young men are innocent in our system until proven guilty.

But one bit of information the police did release is troubling. Detectives confiscated six firearms as part of the process. None of the suspects are over 21 years old, meaning that none of them can legally purchase a handgun.

If the handguns were theirs the question is: How did they get the guns?

Were they stolen?

Did an adult give them to the youths?

Our nation has lax firearms laws — which is mostly a good thing. The Second Amendment is important.

However, the laws we have need to be enforced. Our nation prohibits people under age 21 from purchasing or owning a handgun for a good reason. As a group, people under 21 lack the maturity to make wise, safe decisions with handguns.

Although some adults also make dumb decisions when holding a deadly firearm, the thinking is the likelihood of that is lessened with age.

Arresting and prosecuting people who commit crimes is the first solution to the problem of crime.

But another problem, and one that our community seems to struggle with resolving, is preventing the illegal gun possession in the first place.

When the initial crime is solved, the judicial systems should push to get to the bottom of how the guns fell into the hands of youth in the first place.

If we, as a society, continue to simply ignore the source of these problems, we’re partially to blame if the violence continues.

It’s not unlike the type of battle drug interdiction specialists have waged for years. Rather than just arresting the drug users, the source of the drugs is their ultimate goal. The same principle should go for gun crimes committed by underage people, too.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.