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New gun measures in Olympia gather support, opposition


Several new gun laws are before the state Legislature in Olympia. (Photo: KOMO News)
Several new gun laws are before the state Legislature in Olympia. (Photo: KOMO News)
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- There was emotional testimony Monday from gun violence survivors and the families of victims of mass shootings at the state Legislature.

But many gun owners are fearful the proposed bills are just efforts at gun control.


Survivors of shootings said they're just trying to save lives. "And share on how on Oct 1, 2017, gun violence forever changed my life," testified Emily Cantrell. The former KOMO-TV News writer-producer and fiance Kyle Helms were caught in the havoc of the mass shooting in Las Vegas at an outdoor concert on Oct. 2

"The music went silent, and the screaming began," said Cantrell. "Our country's deadliest mass shooting would ensue. We were sitting ducks with no way to fight back." Fifty-eight people killed with hundreds injured.

"I struggle with survivor's guilt," she told the state Senate's Law and Justice Committee. "I'm terrified when the sun goes down. Any little noise makes me jump or cry. I look for a gunman in every room I enter. Even though I don't have a bullet in my head or body, I feel like I have one."


Police say the shooter had what's known as a 'bump stock' attachment to help speed up the rounds to six per second.

Anne Marie Parsons whose daughter Carrie was killed testified, "No one was targeted. They were all mowed down. Nobody stood a chance."

The governor was recently shown how the bump stocks work. He's supporting a bill to outlaw those devices.

But Alan Gottlieb of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms testified against the measure, saying bump stocks do not turn semi-automatic fire arms into machine guns. "In fact sometimes it lowers the rate of fire power and accuracy as happened to the horrible shooter in Las Vegas whose bump stocks jammed the firearms, and as a result he had to put them down to pick up other guns to fire with."

Gottlieb, the National Rifle Association and other gun owners are against all measures getting hearing,s including banning the sale of clips of more than 10 rounds. Keely Hopkins of the NRA said, "Police reports and studies of these so-called assault weapons are only used in 1 to 2 percent of violent crimes."

Brett Bass, U.S. Marine reservist and gun instructor, said, "Guns that hold more ammo are more useful for individual people for defending themselves against multiple bad guys."

Home-invasion robbery survivor Jane Milhans of Tacoma said, "I stand before you as a crime survivor today. I don't want to be a crime statistic. I want to be able to protect myself."

But victim's and their families say these are common sense bills referencing the mass shooting at a Mukilteo party by an angry boyfriend who bought an assault weapon without a background check required. Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Adam Cornell his gun was "an assault rifle he didn't intend on using for hunting animals. It was an assault rifle he used with the intention of hunting humans." The bill would require background checks just like with handguns.

Another bill would put more requirements for safe storage of guns at home. Gun rights advocate Dave Westhaver of Bellevue said, "The criminals are not going to be penalized by these bills. They're going to make criminals out of law abiding gun owners."

The bills supporters say it has been five years since gun measures have been heard in the Senate, which had been controlled by Republicans. But now Democrats have a one-vote majority. Supporters of the gun measures say they are more hopeful this year of passage.

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