Gun safety advocates rally at Minnesota Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Hundreds of gun safety advocates were at the Minnesota Capitol on Tuesday for an annual rally in support of tighter gun laws.
The rotunda was full of advocates, most from the organizations Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, as well as gun violence survivors.
"I just have young children and just don't want them to live in fear going into public places," Moms Demand Action volunteer Kathleen Anderson said. "Everything's gotten a little out of hand and there's stuff we can do about it."
The group wants lawmakers to pass a law on stricter firearm storage and another that compels gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms to police. It's a push that follows several accidental Twin Cities shootings involving children in the last few weeks.
"When it comes to keeping our children safe, racing to the scene after something happens just isn't good enough," St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said.
Lawmakers passed a gun safety package last year that included universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, but advocates at Tuesday's rally say more work needs to be done.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus will have a rally to support responsible gun ownership on April 27 The caucus gave this statement to WCCO on Tuesday:
Existing laws already criminalize unsafe storage of loaded firearms around children. There is no rational reason to create criminal penalties for the storage of unloaded or inoperable firearms when no children or prohibit people are going to be in the home. Additionally, responsible gun owners already report lost or stolen firearms to avoid potential legal repercussions. Minnesota has never had a law that criminalizes victims for failure to report a crime.
Gun safety advocates saw harsher laws will protect children, lower suicide rates and keep firearms from getting into the wrong hands. It's a move Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz says the governor is ready to sign.
"All we're saying in this rotunda today, all we're saying under this dome today, is that we ought to treat a whole state of children like we love them dearly! We ought to treat a whole state of children like their lives matter to us dearly!" Carter said.