Latest news with #gunSafety
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
NJ Senate advances laws to curb 'ghost' guns, expand gun crimes
The state senate's Law and Public Safety Committee cleared nine bills related to gun safety and regulation at its June 19 meeting at the Statehouse in Trenton. The bills range from upgrading crimes for manufacturing guns to allowing for the court system to have more time considering pretrial release or pretrial detention when a gun crime is involved. Eight of the nine bills were introduced in the upper chamber last year. Five of them have already passed the full Assembly. State Sen. Linda Greenstein, the Democrat who chairs the committe and sponsored one of the bills, said the package 'will keep us safe from emerging threats.' Groups like Moms Demand Action and the National Council of Jewish Women testified in favor of the bills. Not everyone was in support of the legislation, though. Darin Goens, a state director for the National Rifle Association, and Joseph LoPorto of the New Jersey Gun Owner Syndicate, opposed the bills because there are already laws on the books that address gun related issues. They both also noted that New Jersey is in the minority of states when it comes to taking some of these measures, including the severity of the penalties. State Sen. Paul Moriarty, also a Democrat, said 'we're not that interested in what other states are doing.' 'There are a lot of states that seem to no longer want women to have reproductive rights. We've chosen a different path,' he said. 'We will continue to choose the path that we think is right for New Jersey at this time.' Trenton: Phil Murphy, Matt Platkin vow increased security for NJ officials after Minnesota shooting These nine bills would: Increase the penalties for the manufacturing and distributing so-called 'ghost guns' and 3D-printed firearms from second-degree to first-degree crimes, specifically buying parts to make a gun without a serial number, making a gun with a 3D printer, making a covert or undetectable firearm and transporting a manufactured gun without a serial number. Require businesses that sell guns and ammunition to use the merchant category codes established by the International Organization for Standardization for processing credit, debit, or prepaid transactions. Establish criminal penalties for selling or possessing devices designed to convert a weapon into a semiautomatic firearm. Make it a crime to possess digital instructions to use a 3D printer to make a gun, firearm receiver, magazine or firearm component. Make firing a gun within a hundred yards of certain structures like homes or schools a crime of the fourth degree and any other reckless discharge of a firearm a disorderly persons offense. Require the public safety risk assessment used by the Pretrial Services Program to consider a charge, if the act was an unlawful act and not a crime or offense, as risk factors relevant to the risk of failure to appear in court when required and the danger to the community while on pretrial release. Require county prosecutors to provide the state's attorney general with data on crimes involving the use of a gun that did not result in any bodily injury. Permit the court system to take additional time to consider pretrial release or pretrial detention when firearm offense is involved. Require state's attorney general to create a ballistics analysis device pilot program and for the chief law enforcement officer of each participating municipality to submit a report to the state's attorney general within 30 days with a detailed summary of each incident in which the agency used the device and recommends whether the agency should continue to use the device. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@ This article originally appeared on NJ laws target ghost guns, expand gun crimes
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Instructor held after woman shot in firearm training course, police say
A woman participating in a firearm training course was shot when a gun went off as an instructor was demonstrating weapon safety, Baltimore Police said Wednesday. Officers in the Southwest District were called to the 4500 block of Edmondson Avenue for a report of a shooting around 6:12 p.m. Police found a 23-year-old adult female with a gunshot wound to the leg, according to a release from the Baltimore Police Department. After a preliminary investigation, officers determined the woman was taking a firearm training course and had been shot accidentally when the gun went off as the instructor 'was demonstrating how to render a firearm safely,' police said in the release. The instructor was taken into custody, police said, but is not currently facing charges. The woman was listed in stable condition at an area hospital, according to police. Southwest District Shooting detectives are investigating. Anyone with information can reach detectives at 410-396-2488. Information can be submitted anonymously to the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-866-7LOCKUP or by online text by visiting the MCS website. Have a news tip? Send it to nzimmerman@
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Strong gun laws in California yield lowest gun deaths rates, Newsom says
( — Gov. Gavin Newsom released a statement stating that California leads the nation in strong gun safety laws, correlating with many lives that were saved. Newsom stated that year after year, California has been ranked as the number one state in the country for its strong gun safety laws, along with some of the lowest rates of gun deaths, according to information from Giffords Law Center and Everytown for Gun Safety. In other states, where officials have passed gun safety laws, fewer people have died from gun violence, Newsom said. Texas and Florida, which have been ranked 32nd and 21st, respectively, in gun law strength, had firearm mortality rates more than 50% higher than California. Newsom said that according to the California Department of Justice Office of Gun Violence Prevention, if the gun death rate in the rest of the U.S. matched the state's over the past decade, there would have been almost 140,000 lives saved, and potentially hundreds of thousands of people would sustain gunshot injuries. California gun control bill that could ban popular Glock pistol sales moves forward 'Strong gun laws save lives,' said Newsom. 'California has reduced its gun violence rate because of its leading gun safety laws.' California was the first state in the nation to have a 'Red Flag Law' in 2016, according to Newsom. The law builds on a bedrock of available protection orders – nine in total – that would prohibit firearm possession for people subject to orders ranging from domestic violence and workplace harassment. In the first three years of the law, the protection order was used to prevent 58 cases of threatened mass shooting, according to Newsom. Newsom said, 'There have been significant increases in utilization of GVROs – increasing by 118% – from 2020 to 2023.' Newsom stated that he signed a bipartisan legislative package to further reinforce California's nation-leading gun laws and prevent incidents of mass violence. 'California won't wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act. In the absence of congressional action, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws. Data shows that California's gun safety laws are effective in preventing gun-related deaths, which makes the ongoing inaction and obstruction by politicians in the pocket of the gun lobby even more reprehensible.' Gov. Gavin Newsom Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Former Disney star Christy Carlson Romano reveals shocking details about nearly losing her eye
Christy Carlson Romano is speaking out about nearly losing an eye after she was shot in the face four months ago. During an appearance on the upcoming June 10 episode of the "Not a Damn Chance!" podcast, via a sneak peek by People magazine, the 41-year-old former Disney star recalled the terrifying incident while she was shooting clay pigeons with her husband, Brendan Rooney, for his birthday. Asked how it happened, Romano explained she was not "at liberty to say specifics," according to People. The actress previously revealed on Instagram that she was "hit in five places," including below her eye. Romano shared details for the first time about what transpired. "It's a birdshot that got sprayed in my direction by another party, and essentially it was within 200 feet, which means really fast and hot," she told hosts Neen Williams and Frankland Lee. "They weren't malicious," Romano clarified. "It wasn't aggravated assault. It's what happened." The "Even Stevens" star then emphasized the importance of gun safety and described her initial response. "I feel very out of body about it. … It's pretty wild," she said. "I'm shocked, and what goes through my head immediately is, 'Oh that's dope, I just got shot.' And then I go, 'Oh now I'm gonna die,'" she said. "I take a knee. My husband witnessed it and was like, 'Hey are you hit?' because I didn't scream. I didn't do anything. I was just out of body." Romano recalled she had a knee-jerk reaction upon being shot that stemmed from her time on the third season of the FOX reality TV series "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test." In the show, celebrity contestants take on grueling military exercises and challenges under the direction of ex-Special Forces operatives. Romano explained that the contestants were trained to give a thumbs-up to let their fellow cast members know that they were OK during the series' perilous challenges. The "Kim Possible" alum recalled that, out of habit, she gave Rooney a thumbs-up immediately after she was shot. "He was like, 'Oh, you're good.' And I was like, 'No I'm hit.' He goes, 'Oh s---,'" Romano recalled of her husband's reaction. She remembered that Rooney rushed to her aid and had to restrain himself from retaliating against the other party. "So, he's running to me and making sure I'm OK, and he's fighting the urge to hurt the person … but he's been practicing stoicism recently, and there was something in him," Romano recalled. "He was immediately into action mode, evaluating me and ran to get the car. "I felt this huge rush that I'd never felt before where I was starting to get really woozy. I think it was shock." Romano told the hosts she didn't experience any pain initially and described the thoughts that were running through her head, including her fears her children might be affected. The actress shares daughters Isabella, 7, and Sofia, 5, with Rooney. "I was covered in blood from my forehead … and I said three things. I was like, 'Am I gonna die? Who's gonna take care of the girls? Is my career over?'" she recalled. Romano explained that she came close to being blinded or killed. "If my head would've been tilted in any other direction, I would have been blind in my right eye. Or if I had turned my head, I could have gotten hit in a softer side of my skull, and I would have potentially been dead," Romano said. "It's still in my eye," she said of the pellets from the shotgun. "I have a fragment still in my forehead, and I have a fragment still behind my eye, which is 1 millimeter away from blinding me." Romano previously explained on Instagram that the lead fragment behind her eye had to remain in her face because removing it could leave her blind. The shot fragment lodged in her skull will also remain in place because doctors said it will expedite her healing process. During her podcast interview, Romano told hosts she put on a brave face at first and was making jokes about her medical crisis after she arrived at the hospital. "In retrospect, I was trying to be funny and not cry because I wanted the people around me to feel more calm so that they could take better care of me," Romano said. The former Broadway star admitted that it has been difficult to accept she is a "gunshot survivor." Clay pigeon shooting is an outdoor sport in which upside-down circular disks made of limestone and pitch used as targets are propelled into the air by machines called traps. Shooters use shotguns, with each shot projecting hundreds of small lead balls to hit the clay pigeons. The sport is typically not considered dangerous as long as safety measures are followed.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CT Senate passes controversial gun safety bill after 11-hour marathon debate
After a marathon 11-hour debate, the state Senate passed a gun safety bill Friday that would make it easier to file civil lawsuits against gun manufacturers and make it harder for some residents to obtain a pistol permit. On a mostly party-line vote, the Senate granted final legislative approval for a controversial measure that would allow civil lawsuits against gun manufacturers, marketers, distributors and retailers who fail to take 'reasonable controls' against selling guns to traffickers, straw buyers, and those the sellers believe would commit a crime. 'Despite the deadly nature of their products, gun manufacturers and sellers have enjoyed broad immunity to civil action, which has allowed them to turn a blind eye to dangerous sales practices that all too often end in tragedy,' said Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney, a New Haven Democrat. 'This bill holds the industry accountable by giving victims an opportunity to recover appropriate damages from an irresponsible gun industry member.' The measure passed by 25-11 with Democrats largely in favor and Republicans largely against. The two members to break with their parties were Democratic Sen. Cathy Osten of Sprague, who voted against the bill, and Republican Sen. Tony Hwang of Fairfield, who voted in favor. Republicans staged an 11-hour filibuster and offered 18 amendments that were rejected by the Democratic majority. Sen. Rob Sampson, a Wolcott Republican, offered numerous amendments in an unsuccessful attempt to change the legislation that he says would lead to more lawsuits. 'This bill does not address gun violence or criminals who choose to commit it,' Sampson said. 'This bill represents a concerted national effort to effectively litigate the firearm industry out of business. It's an attack on lawful business owners in the firearm industry alone, with civil liability based on the unforeseen actions of criminals. There are vague and subjective terms—trap doors—throughout, which are a dream for anti-gun activists and litigators looking to harm the industry with meritless cases. This is simply a political bill disguised as an effort to keep people safe.' Sampson added, 'The message is clear: If you manufacture, sell, or promote legal firearms in Connecticut, you are no longer welcome here. It will have a chilling effect on the state's firearm industry, and thus your innate right to self-defense through the Second Amendment, the likes of which we have never seen. This is not about public safety and will not save a single life.' Before the Senate approval, the state House of Representatives voted 100-46 last month in favor of the legislation. Gov. Ned Lamont will sign the bill, his chief spokesman, Rob Blanchard, said Friday. House Bill 7042 allows the state attorney general, as well as private citizens and cities and towns, to file civil lawsuits against those 'who fail to implement so-called reasonable controls in preventing the sale of firearms to straw purchasers, firearm traffickers, and individuals who are prevented from purchasing firearms under our laws.' Democrats said the bill is necessary because the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, known as PLCAA, was passed by Congress in 2005 that provided special immunity protections for gun manufacturers. So far, nine other states have passed similar legislation to expand the possibility of gun-related lawsuits, including New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Illinois, Colorado and others. The 11-hour debate, which started at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and ended at 12:30 a.m. Friday, was among the longest of the year. The Senate then continued debating other bills and adjourned at 1:37 a.m. Friday. In a long stemwinder on the Senate floor, Republican Sen. John Kissel of Enfield blasted the bill as an attack on Second Amendment rights. During his speech, Kissel made winding references to railroads, attorneys' fees, scratch-off tickets, casinos, Hartford, car fatalities, troopers, eye-hand coordination, Jack LaLanne, Methuselah, the Bible, and hallucinogenic mushrooms. He talked about walking from the Hartford train station to state Capitol and visiting his grandfather in Philadelphia as Republicans talked throughout the entire day and past midnight. The multi-pronged bill also makes it harder for some residents to obtain a gun permit if they committed crimes in other states. Currently, Connecticut residents who commit felonies and 11 'disqualifier misdemeanors' are not permitted to obtain a pistol or revolver permit. But residents who commit essentially the same misdemeanors in other states, and then move to Connecticut, are still able to obtain a permit. The bill would cover anyone convicted of those misdemeanors in another state during the past eight years; they would now be blocked from getting a pistol or revolver permit, lawmakers said. Under Connecticut's 'clean slate' law, convictions for certain misdemeanors are erased. But Connecticut's clean slate law does not apply to out-of-state convictions. In a longtime oversight, police and attorneys have somehow never noticed that out-of-state convictions were handled differently, officials said. Separately, attorneys for the families of victims of the shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in 2012 filed a civil lawsuit under a different provision of the law concerning unfair trade practices. The provisions in the bill would be in addition to the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, known as CUTPA. With time running out in the regular legislative session that adjourns at midnight on June 4, some lawmakers are concerned about the length of the debates in the final days. When debates extend for long periods, other bills can get left without a vote because time runs out at midnight next Wednesday. Republicans were concerned Friday when the House debated on a highly controversial bill on awarding unemployment compensation to workers who have been on strike for at least 14 days. The measure passed by 87-57 with 13 moderate House Democrats against the bill by 5 p.m., which allowed time to debate other bills on transportation and motor vehicles. In a letter to all legislators, the parent company of East Hartford-based Pratt & Whitney expressed 'strong opposition' to the bill that would impact more than 4,300 unionized employees at Pratt and Colllins Aerospace operations at plants around the state. The letter stated that the median base pay under the new union contract 'is now over $51/hour, an increase of over 26% in the last five years.' The 'typical Pratt union-represented employee' likely 'will see annual earnings this year of over $140,000.' For years, the House has avoided debates in the final days on issues where the governor has pledged a veto, which Lamont has done. But House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Hartford Democrat, told reporters Friday that the striking workers' bill is a high priority for some members of the House Democratic caucus. 'This is the one exception,' Ritter said. Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
