Saying that it wasn’t too much to ask in order to keep people alive, two state lawmakers are filing a measure that would mandate gun owners to secure their weapons when not in use and even when they are in their own home. State Rep Justine Caldwell and Senator Pam Luria are authors of the Safe Storage of All Firearms in Rhode Island bill.
“It is not asking too much to expect those who own lethal weapons to secure them to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Just as our state requires drivers to have insurance because we recognize the potential that vehicles have to inflict harm on others, in the interest of public safety, we should require that gun owners take responsibility for securing their weapons,” said Representative Caldwell from East Greenwich.
Senator Lauria of Barrington said, “No one can call themselves a responsible gun owner if they are leaving a gun where someone else can use it. Unsecured guns have harmed countless children as well as family members or friends who have accessed them for the purpose of suicide or crime. When a gun isn’t under the owner’s control, it’s not safe anywhere unless it’s secured. Responsible gun owners already do this, but it should be a requirement, not an option.”
By the standards of the bill a gun would have to be in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock in order to deem it inoperable.
Massachusetts and Connecticut already have such a law.
According to the latest data provided by the authors, 76% of school shooters between 2008 and 2017 obtained the firearms they used from the home of their parents or another close relative. In half of those cases, the weapons they used were either easily accessible or not secured in any meaningful way.
The lawmakers call this a common sense approach to gun safety that will save lives.
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