U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Anti-gun U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), apparently trying to appear magnanimous, told CNN Sunday he is “willing to ‘settle’ for less aggressive gun control reform” in an effort to “save lives,” is fulfilling a prediction made just days ago in AmmoLand that the Michigan school shooting would quickly be exploited to push the gun prohibition agenda.
BULLETIN: Fox News is reporting that school officials at Michigan’s Oxford High School could also face charges in the wake of the Nov. 30 tragedy that rocked the country.
Prosecutor Karen McDonald reportedly told NBC News “It’s possible,” when asked about possible charges against school officials. McDonald, a Democrat, appears to be holding nothing back as new details emerge about the shooting that left four students dead.
Michigan is mourning the victims at Oxford High School in Oakland County, in the southeast part of the state. Oxford is in the northeast corner of the county, northeast of Pontiac.
Murphy’s wish list includes measures that not only would not have prevented the shooting, some of his suggestions have nothing remotely to do with the shooting, which killed four students and left seven other people wounded.
According to The Hill, Murphy wants so-called “universal background checks,” a ban on so-called “assault weapons” and “maybe close the gun show loophole.”
There are problems with this gun control menu:
- The father of accused shooter Ethan Crumbley, 15—James Crumbley—reportedly purchased the 9mm Sig Sauer pistol allegedly used in the attack four days earlier. He bought the gun at retail, meaning he had to have passed a background check.
- The teenage suspect, who has now been charged as an adult, didn’t use an “assault weapon,” he used a handgun, carried illegally into the school in violation of existing law.
- The handgun was not purchased at a gun show.
“I won’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good, right,” he said during the interview. “I want universal background checks, I want a ban on assault weapons, but I will settle for something much less because that will save lives.”
Murphy says the Michigan shooting might bring people back to the negotiating table.
He told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “If parents violate the law, then they should be held accountable…It looks as if these parents bought a gun for their child who shouldn’t have ever possessed it.”
But the parents—James and Jennifer Crumbley—actually are being “held accountable” under existing Michigan law. That is, they have each been charged by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, and now it will be up to the courts to determine whether the charges are valid or overreach.
Perhaps the only thing Murphy mentioned during his interview that might have some association with the Oxford High School case is a proposed “safe storage” law. According to the New York Times, “Ms. McDonald said the teenager’s parents had been storing the newly purchased 9-millimeter Sig Sauer pistol unlocked in a bedroom drawer.”
The NY Times also noted that school officials had an in-person meeting on the day of the shooting about the teen’s behavior. He had been spotted searching online for ammunition during class the previous day. He allegedly drew some violent images and wrote, “Blood everywhere,” and, “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me,” the newspaper reported. During the meeting, the parents were reportedly told “that they were required to seek counseling for their son.” That would never happen because only hours later, the suspect opened fire.
There might be some civil liability because apparently, nobody searched the teen’s backpack. That may be where he had the pistol during the entire time of the meeting. The parents reportedly did not want to take the suspect out of school that day, instead of letting him return to class. Had a gun been discovered in the backpack, it would have likely resulted in automatic suspension, if not outright expulsion.
All three Crumbleys are being held in the same jail, according to various reports. The parents were apprehended by authorities about 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, hiding inside a warehouse art studio in Detroit, according to the NY Times. They were not armed, but Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters, “I’m not going to get into the specifics, but I think where they were and how they seemed to support the position they were hiding and they weren’t looking for surrendering at that point.”
What happens next? The Crumbleys have been arraigned. They will all be prosecuted for the charges that have been filed. They may all wind up spending years, perhaps decades, in prison if convicted.
The case will no doubt be used to justify any new gun control legislation introduced in Michigan, and possibly elsewhere, ostensibly to prevent school shootings.
For his part, Sen. Murphy has not stepped out of character. He remains an ardent gun control advocate, and his effort to convince CNN viewers he is—at least for the time being—willing to settle for less than a complete package of gun restrictions may make it appear he is a moderate on the subject. His history of gun control support suggests otherwise.
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About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
