Florida, the state where a 19-year-old gunman allegedly opened fire at a high school on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, has what some describe as among the most lax gun laws in America.
Less than a year ago, the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz legally bought the .223-caliber rifle described as an AR-15 type firearm believed to have been used in the mass shooting from a Broward County gun store, authorities and other law enforcement sources said.
Cruz, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland who had been expelled, allegedly opened fire at the school shortly after 2:20 p.m. and was later arrested.
This latest mass shooting — which adds to a string of mass shootings committed in the U.S. with a semi-automatic rifle sometimes called assault-style weapons — raised questions among some about the accessibility of firearms like the AR-15.
Related: FBI was alerted about threat posted on YouTube
Florida "has some of the weakest laws in our country" when it comes to guns, said Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords who was severely wounded in a 2011 assassination attempt and who started a foundation to combat gun violence.
"How many months — the Las Vegas shooting, the worst shooting we've had in the history of our country, happened on Oct. 1. And what we’ve got from a lot of members of Congress and the White House were thoughts and prayers and there will be an appropriate time to do something about this," Kelly said Wednesday on MSNBC.
"Well, is today the time?" he said.
Related: Familiar responses from Congress in wake of the latest mass shooting
Those buying guns from licensed dealers in Florida must pass a background check, the same as those buying from licensed dealers across the nation, and there is a three-day waiting period in that state for handguns. Being a convicted felon is one of the criteria that would prevent someone from legally possessing a gun.
Florida law also imposes criminal penalties for those who fail to secure firearms from minors. There are no restrictions on the size of magazines a gun owner can buy or possess.
Florida, the state where a 19-year-old gunman allegedly opened fire at a high school on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, has what some describe as among the most lax gun laws in America.
Less than a year ago, the alleged gunman Nikolas Cruz legally bought the .223-caliber rifle described as an AR-15 type firearm believed to have been used in the mass shooting from a Broward County gun store, authorities and other law enforcement sources said.
Cruz, a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland who had been expelled, allegedly opened fire at the school shortly after 2:20 p.m. and was later arrested.
[Timeline of the Florida school mass shooting]
Timeline of the Florida school mass shooting 2:46
This latest mass shooting — which adds to a string of mass shootings committed in the U.S. with a semi-automatic rifle sometimes called assault-style weapons — raised questions among some about the accessibility of firearms like the AR-15.
Related: FBI was alerted about threat posted on YouTube
Florida "has some of the weakest laws in our country" when it comes to guns, said Mark Kelly, the husband of former Rep. Gabby Giffords who was severely wounded in a 2011 assassination attempt and who started a foundation to combat gun violence.
"How many months — the Las Vegas shooting, the worst shooting we've had in the history of our country, happened on Oct. 1. And what we’ve got from a lot of members of Congress and the White House were thoughts and prayers and there will be an appropriate time to do something about this," Kelly said Wednesday on MSNBC.
"Well, is today the time?" he said.
Related: Familiar responses from Congress in wake of the latest mass shooting
Those buying guns from licensed dealers in Florida must pass a background check, the same as those buying from licensed dealers across the nation, and there is a three-day waiting period in that state for handguns. Being a convicted felon is one of the criteria that would prevent someone from legally possessing a gun.
Florida law also imposes criminal penalties for those who fail to secure firearms from minors. There are no restrictions on the size of magazines a gun owner can buy or possess.
[Officials give new details on Nikolas Cruz and Parkland school shooting]
Officials give new details on Nikolas Cruz and Parkland school shooting 3:09
The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in a 2016 report gave Florida an "F" grade and said it has weak gun laws. But the Sunshine State is not alone: The group gave the same grade to a swath of states in the South, Midwest and West and said more can be done.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who has been given an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association and who in 2017 signed a law to bolster the state's "stand your ground" law (it was ruled unconstitutional by a Miami judge in July) was asked about gun control in his state Wednesday and answered in vague terms.
"All of us want to live, and to have everyone live in a safe community," Scott told reporters. "And there’s a time to continue to have these conversations about how through law enforcement, how through mental illness funding, can we make sure people are safe — and we’ll continue to do that."
Related: Trump says he will visit Parkland after deadly school shooting
Scott said in a statement Thursday he would be organizing meetings in the state capital of Tallahassee “to discuss what we must do immediately to keep our schools safe and keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill individuals."
Democrats in Florida's Republican-controlled legislature last year introduced bills that would prohibit the sale of so-called assault weapons and or large-capacity magazines and require registration of those currently owned, but the measure died in committee.
Source: Nbcnews News
Friday, 16 February 2018
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