A somber start

Iowa deals with aftermath of school shooting

Our nation’s young people have had enough. In Iowa yesterday, they walked out of class to protest gun violence, which tragically visited the state last week. On the first day back to school after the winter holidays, an 11-year-old was killed and seven others were injured in a school shooting in Perry. It remains unclear where the 17-year-old shooter, who was allegedly bullied, obtained the pump-action shotgun and small-caliber handgun in his possession when he was found deceased following the rampage. But he made his intentions clear beforehand on social media sites like TikTok and Discord.

In 2023, gun violence overall waned a bit after pandemic highs, but mass shootings hit historic levels and rightfully received much attention. At the same time, many states are dropping gun ownership requirements rather than tightening them up. Last year marked the first year that a majority of states have adopted so-called constitutional carry, meaning citizens can carry concealed guns without a permit. Iowa happens to be one of the states with some of the loosest gun laws.

Naturally, Americans have responded. Gun ownership boomed during the pandemic, even among people who never expected to hold, much less own, a gun. And fears about crime, social breakdown, and political violence have led to Americans from various walks of life becoming new gun owners. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are countless examples of citizens using their Second Amendment right to protect themselves and their families.

But with more guns in circulation, keeping them safe becomes paramount. That might mean using better storage technologies, like that developed by Vara Safety, which makes a mounted handgun holster that locks a gun in place and unlocks it with a fingerprint. Or offsite gun storage, such as that offered by Allegheny Arms, which keeps guns out of the house. Or responsive tools, like SafeDefend’s AI gun detectors, bulletproof tables, and automatically locking doors that protect kids and school employees from mass shooters. Or community violence interventions that aim to prevent violence before it even starts.

The big question remains: could better laws or safety precautions have prevented the shooting in Perry? Until we have all the details, we don’t know yet. But other states’ experiences are instructive. And notably in this case, there is supportive evidence that policies that prevent youth access to guns reduce both homicides and suicides among young people. Maybe it’s time that we listened to them.

On the Hill

Attorney General Merrick Garland reported on Friday that 527 gun purchases have been blocked since Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The legislation, which President Biden signed into law in June 2022, requires extra checks with state and local officials for any gun purchases by people under age 21. Among those denied a gun purchase were a person convicted of rape, a suspect in an attempted murder case, and someone who had been involuntarily committed for mental-health treatment. The law also helps states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people found to be dangerous.

We say: We’re pleased (but not surprised) to hear that measures supported by both gun owners and non-gun owners, which regulate who has access to firearms, can have a tangible impact in reducing gun violence. This is good news to start off the new year.

More on the Hill:

• Family whose son died in accidental shooting fights to change gun safety laws —CBS News

• As mass shootings rise, some senators are recanting their gun debate votes —The Washington Post

In the Courts

Opening arguments began yesterday in the civil trial against the National Rifle Association, the largest gun-rights lobbying organization in America. New York Attorney General Letitia James launched an investigation into the group’s leadership in 2019 amid allegations of corruption and financial fraud. The NRA was chartered in New York after the Civil War, giving the state standing. The lawsuit alleges longtime NRA leader Wayne LaPierre and others used millions of dollars to fund personal expenses. LaPierre resigned his position on Friday, citing health reasons. With its membership in decline, the NRA’s current leadership has indicated a commitment to reform.

We say: This is important not so much for the trial result as for the changes that may result at the NRA. With new leadership and perhaps a new vision for the highly influential organization, we hope that it will join with organizations like 97Percent to help solve the gun violence crisis in the U.S., while protecting Second Amendment rights.

More in the courts:

• Gun-rights groups sue to block Colorado’s new ban on “ghost guns” —The Denver Post

• Montana Attorney General leads 25-state effort to strike down California’s firearm magazine ban —Montana Department of Justice

• New Mexico justices hear challenge to public health ban on guns in public parks and playgrounds —102.3 KRMG

• Judge allows challenge to New York assault weapons ban to proceed —The Hill

• She lost her gun rights for passing a bad check. Now she wants the Supreme Court to restore them —Deseret News

In the States

As new gun laws take effect around the nation (you can read about them here, here, here, and here), one law was blocked, then approved, and then blocked again since our last issue. On Saturday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an injunction issued by a federal judge that bars California from enforcing a new law that bans the carrying of guns in most public places. The reason? According to the court, it violates the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment. The ruling dissolves an order by a different 9th Circuit panel from just a week earlier that suspended the injunction, allowing the law to go into effect, briefly, on Jan. 1. California’s appeal of the injunction will be heard in April.

More in the states:

• Florida: Lawmakers want to end 3-day waiting periods for rifles, shotguns —Tampa Bay Times

• Illinois: Illinois has banned assault weapon ownership. But local sheriffs say they won’t enforce it. Now what? —Courthouse News Service

• Illinois: About 1% of Illinois gun owners registered banned weapons before deadline —MyStateline.com

• Maine: Legislature expected to consider gun restrictions after state’s deadliest mass shooting —PBS NewsHour

• Massachusetts: Senate Democrats getting handle on gun reform bill —Boston Herald

• Tennessee: After Nashville school shooting, parents push for gun control action —The New York Times

• Virginia: Newly blue Va. Capitol could send gun-control bills to Youngkin’s desk —The Washington Post

How do background checks work?

Since the Brady Bill was signed into law in 1993, federally licensed firearm dealers have been required to conduct background checks on potential gun buyers using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). A prospective buyer fills out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer relays the information to NICS. NICS staff perform a background check to verify the prospective buyer does not have a criminal record or is not otherwise ineligible to purchase a firearm.

The following groups are currently prohibited from owning guns:

• Convicted felons

• People under federal domestic restraining orders

• People convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes 

• People who’ve been committed to a mental health facility or who were ruled mentally unfit by a court of law

• Fugitives

• People convicted of drug crimes or determined by a court to be addicted to an illegal controlled substance

Thirty states, five U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C., rely on the FBI for background checks. Seven states handle some background checks with the FBI. The remaining 13 states, known as “point of contact” states, rely on state law enforcement agencies for background checks.

NICS has conducted more than 300 million checks since launching in 1998, leading to over 3 million denials. But one in five gun sales are conducted privately (or criminally), without a background check. Further, there are gaps in the system. For example, while felony stalking is flagged, misdemeanor stalking is not. Notably, another gap—in which domestic abuse was flagged only for spouses, cohabiting partners, and co-parents, not other romantic partners—was plugged by the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. (Source: USAFacts)

Safety is key

“We’re never going to be rid of guns. It’s not possible. There are just too many, and they are too accessible. Guns are pervasive; that genie isn’t going back in any bottle. That doesn’t mean we should give up on changing things. Wanting to see children survive and grow into adulthood is not a political position. It’s a moral one. Legislators, governors, representatives, and senators, are you listening?” —National columnist Suzette Hackney

“Because if ‘guns don’t kill people—people kill people,’ then let’s empower law enforcement to identify the wrong people and stop them from obtaining deadly weapons. And prevent small children from getting access to guns and dying from accidental shootings. And stop suicidal teenagers from killing themselves with their parents’ guns. And don’t let radicalized or mentally ill school shooters purchase AR-15s. And keep perpetrators of domestic violence from hoarding guns and killing their partners.” —Attorney Jessie Bustamante, co-founder of Lives on the Line, a grassroots nonprofit organization of mothers from Missouri and Kansas dedicated to finding bipartisan solutions to gun violence

“The time is now to pass common-sense gun violence prevention legislation to protect our children. Roughly 4.6 million minors live in homes with loaded, unlocked firearms. Seventy-four percent of school mass shooters get their unsecured weapons from home or from a relative’s home. Most American voters are in favor of Congress passing gun violence prevention bills. Too many men, women, teens, and children missed this holiday season due to firearms.” —Gun owner Katherine E. Donovan, retired Broward County (Florida) Schools administrator

---

Do you have a comment about any of these critical issues? Do you have a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Please include your first name and state, and we may publish it in a future issue. Thank you for reading!

For more information about 97Percent, please visit our website at 97Percent.us.

Join our growing community of gun owners and non-gun owners united to reduce gun deaths in America.