Senate study committee to recommend changes to Georgia safe gun storage laws

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - On Thursday. State Sen. Emanuel Jones handed out a draft report with his final recommendations from the Safe Firearm Storage Committee.

The committee was already meeting before the school shooting at Apalachee High School had renewed the push for safe storage legislation.

“I will forever remember Sept. 4 and the impact that it not just had on me personally, but also the work that is required by this study committee,” Jones said.

In September, Colt Gray, a 14-year-old student at Apalachee High, was charged in connection to the shooting that killed four people and injured 9 others. Law enforcement said they believe he hid an AR-15 in his backpack. Colin Gray, Colt’s father, was also charged in connection to the shooting and law enforcement said they believe he gave Colt access to the gun. The victims of the Sept. 4 shooting were 14-year-old students Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, math teacher Cristina Irimie and football coach and teacher Richard Aspinwall.

Republican leadership, including the speaker of the Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones have both said they support incentives for gun storage in the wake of the shooting.

The report calls for the following:

• A statewide alert protocol that includes a requirement when a student having been flagged for potentially dangerous behavior seeks to transfer schools, the new school is notified of the issues before the student is enrolled in the new school
• Addressing mental health and promote awareness
• Establishing the Child Access Prevention Law, including civil and criminal penalties
• Promoting safe storage devices and homeowner insurance policy benefits
• Creating a director position that can implement a statewide research and development office
• Regulate a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of assault rifles unless the person has a weapons carry license

The committee report includes testimony from parents who lost children to gun violence during intentional and unintentional shootings.

Heather Halley said she’s been lobbying for safe storage at the Georgia Capitol for a decade. She said, this time, it feels like there is hope.

“I have three children myself and we’ve endured numerous scares and lockdowns and you know, shootings at school and at parties and gatherings. The idea of losing a child to something that’s preventable — that’s the why. I really, honestly have some hope and a little bit of faith that there’s going to be something in the middle that we can do in Georgia to hopefully make an impact,” said Hallet.

The final report will be submitted for consideration.