He said in an interview that he wants the Republican-controlled General Assembly to hear from the public about the need for "common-sense" law related to guns and accessories.Suppressors are currently legal in Virginia, but an individual has to undergo what amounts to a federal anal exam from ATF after paying a $200 tax before a purchase can be completed. It normally takes at least six months for the process to run it's course.
Republicans have previously rejected Northam's gun control bills out of hand, but a top GOP lawmaker signaled Monday that he's open to a legislative debate.
Northam's expected announcement comes less than a week after Virginia Beach city employee DeWayne Craddock used two semi-automatic handguns, a silencer and extended ammunition magazines to kill 12 people, all but one them colleagues he had worked with for years, and injure several others. Craddock was then killed in an intense gunbattle with police during which a bullet hit one officer in a bulletproof vest.
Northam's package of bills includes legislation that directly relates to Friday's shooting — including a ban on silencers and high capacity ammunition magazines as well as broadening the ability of local governments to limit guns in city buildings. But Northam said other recent shootings, including the death last month of a 9-year-old girl who was shot at a community cookout in Richmond, are also driving his call for a special session.
Some law enforcement told news outlets on Saturday that the suppressor did not necessarily make it easier for the killer to complete his plan and that it was likely his familiarity with the building that allowed him to kill so many.
Contact you legislators now and let them know that you oppose any new restrictions on your rights.
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