I don't think gun laws had much to do with either Charlie Hebdo or last night's attacks in France. Completely different scenario from the usual criminal element that will get and use guns no matter what the law says. What's an extra year for illegal firearm possession when you're already looking at 15 for armed robbery? Criminals already have guns, always will but this is not your typical criminal scenario.
Here we're dealing with a highly fanatical religious group fully prepared and usually expecting to die. It's a war against all who do not embrace their religious ideology, armed or not makes no difference. We've already seen that in this country. People beheaded, attacks on police, the presence of armed resistance means little. It's a war they want and they expect an armed response.
It will come to this country too and soon. The first load just landed in New Orleans from Syria, thanks to our dumbass in chief. We have already been attacked, and more than once, by the parent branch of this same bunch of religious nut jobs. 911 was the worst, but not the only one. The World Trade Center was bombed before that, the Ft Hood shooting, Boston Marathon I think was related too. And that's just a couple I can think of offhand.
Expect more, it will happen, and I don't think it will be long. It has already been broadcast that they intend to slip their members into the Syrian refugees, anyone who thinks that excludes the US is a fool. We are their primary target. They have made that well known.
Gun laws have nothing to do with it. They do it expecting to die, and in many cases, intentionally, as with suicide bombers. This article does point out one fact that is universal, in countries with strict gun laws, criminals still have them, in most cases many more than those owned legally. Australia is very similar, according to an article I read not long ago, their firearm murder rate has gone up 300% since their gun confiscation program around 10 years ago. Armed robbery went up 45% in one year. And they have been arresting jihadists planning attacks recently too. Here in the US I've seen several news reports of the same recently. It's coming here, gun laws make no difference.