After Child Brings Gun To School, Long Island Bill To Securely Store Firearms Close To Becoming Law
BALDWIN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) – A major push is underway on Long Island to get the governor to sign a bill requiring guns to be stored securely in homes.
The new push comes after an incident this week in which a 10-year-old student brought a loaded handgun to school.
On Wednesday, some community leaders in Nassau County urged the governor to sign the "Safe Firearms Storage Bill" into law.
Parents of young children were left unnerved following the discovery of a loaded handgun in the lunch bag of a fourth-grader Monday at Meadow Elementary.
The swift actions of a lunch monitor who diffused the situation were lauded by the school's superintendent.
"She was crying about this young man... she has known him for a very long time and is heartbroken that he finds himself in such a situation," Baldwin schools superintendent Shari Camhi said.
That 10-year-old has been charged with a felony and the potential crisis has become an impetus for action.
"The responsibility is not on a 10-year-old on how to fire and how to operate a weapon. The responsibility is on the adults to make sure the gun is safely stored and protected," Nassau County minority leader Kevan Abrahams said.
Legislators joined by PTA parents urged a bill that requires safe storage of firearms become law. The amendment states that weapons must be locked and secured in homes where there may be children.
"Ever since Sandy Hook shooting we discovered most guns used by school shooters are obtained from their homes or homes of relatives or friends," Laura Burns from "Moms Demand Action" claimed.
The boy told police he found the loaded weapon in a drawer during a party at his uncle's house.
"The firearms industry in general supports safe gun storage. Whether we give away gun locks, or some guns get delivered in small gun safes from the factory," Andrew Chernoff of Coliseum Gun Traders said.
Chernoff added that it's doubtful those who break the law by harboring unregistered weapons would bother to lock them up.
"Do you think legislation like this would work?" CBS2's Jennifer McLogan asked a Long Island resident.
"No," one man replied.
"Anyone who has a gun must respect it," another resident said.
The safe storage bill just passed the senate and assembly and proponents said it awaits only the governor's signature.