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Weak gun laws blamed for Seattle violence

May 30, 2012 @ 3:53 pm (Updated: 3:55 pm - 5/30/12 )

"The gun violence problem is in Seattle. The solution is in Olympia," declares Ralph Fascitelli, president of Washington Ceasefire. "We have a lot of angry people who can easily get guns."

Seattle residents are trying to make sense of gun violence that has claimed five lives, in different neighborhoods, since last Thursday. Several others have been wounded in shootings.

Police have said guns, not gangs, are responsible for the crimes. Fascitelli blames Washington gun laws which he says are "terrible, the worst in the country."

GunshowPeople who buy guns through licensed dealers in Washington have to go through background checks and a five-day waiting period. The dealer is also required to keep complete records on gun sales. He says that doesn't happen at most gun shows every weekend in this state and around the country.

"People can buy an unlimited number of guns. They're not traceable, and it creates a secondary market for illegal gun sales," Fascitelli says.

Brady Foundation, a national group trying to prevent gun violence, estimates over forty percent of gun acquisitions occur in the secondary market.

Washington has weak gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market, allow the sale of guns without background checks and allow the sale of military-style assault weapons, according to the Brady Campaign.

They call that the "gun show loophole" which has been closed by legislation in Oregon and California, but not here.

"There isn't a kid in high school who couldn't get a gun in five minutes if he really wanted one," says Fascitelli.

"I have a hard time believing that," says Dave Workman, senior editor for TheGunMag.com. "It's a myth that it's easy to get a gun in Washington."

Workman also points out, there is no evidence that weapons purchased from gun shows were involved in any of the recent Seattle crimes.

Even so, Fascitelli recommends these solutions: Allow cities to create their own gun legislation which might be tougher than state laws; Make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to own a handgun, with a first offense resulting in a mandatory 24 hours in jail; Close the "gun show loophole" that creates a secondary market for weapons; Launch a public health campaign informing people that guns don't make residents safer.

Workman, who is also on the board of directors of the Washington Arms Collectors, thinks it would be "insane" for Seattle or any city to set their own gun laws.

"You can't have Seattle setting itself with gun laws that don't apply anywhere else," he says.

The Second Amendment Foundation said existing laws are enough to encourage gun safety. "Responsible people will maintain gun safety whether there is a law or not. Irresponsible people will ignore the law," says Workman.

Fascitelli is not satisfied with that reasoning, and maintains our state needs gun laws that are more strict.

"We don't have tougher laws because we are spineless in Washington state and we don't have leadership," he says.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn says he's "made it clear" to the police department that it's their "highest priority to identify the strategies that we need to employ to try to bring an end to this wave of gun violence that the city is seeing."

He also says current laws make it "too easy" for people to acquire guns.

By LINDA THOMAS

AP file photo

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (154)


  • Add A Comment

  • badhorse wrote...
    Ralph Fascitelli
    May 30, 2012 4:56 pm
    Way to go SPD. I'm sure all those gang members would be playing chess at the local boys and girls clubs or helping old ladies across the street if there were no guns. Don't blame the people causing the violence. Blame it on guns. How very typical.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Newton wrote...
    Gun laws only protect the Crimnals.
    May 30, 2012 5:00 pm
    Like are Goverment who are lawless bunch looting this State everyday,of are rights and money. Are Constitution rights, in place to protect us from Goverment. Only crimnals want to take are rights away.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • donjr wrote...
    Newton
    May 30, 2012 5:41 pm
    Typical tea party thoughts ... for the record "are" is our. Grammar and spelling is your friend.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    Newton
    May 30, 2012 5:55 pm
    define pedantic for us.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    It's 'our'
    May 31, 2012 11:30 am
    Just clearing that up....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Conservative Bunny wrote...
    Seattle already tried to ban guns= UNCONSTITUTIONAL
    May 30, 2012 5:01 pm
    Anybody can get a gun if they are determined to get one. They will steal one. So how is any of these ridiculous solutions going to work? They won't. Sounds like there are some progressives looking to get re-elected. Maybe the DOJ should investigate the politicians instead of the police department.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ohyea53 wrote...
    If guns kill people then
    May 30, 2012 5:23 pm
    a pencil miss spel wurds...... cars make people drive drunk and spoons makes Rosie O'Donnell a lardass
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jaysonoo7 wrote...
    It makes you look like a idiot when you blame the murder weapon
    May 30, 2012 5:32 pm
    Please don't let our leaders make some rules that make it harder for good people to protect themselves. In no way did that gun shoot itself ask Illinios how their gun control is working out for them....
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  • Zoeller wrote...
    News Flash to the two morons Mayor McGinn, Ralph Fascitelli
    May 30, 2012 5:47 pm
    It is already illegal for these people to have weapons. Most are gang bangers/convicted felons and todays nightmare by a mental patient that had two gun's illegally.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Conservative Bunny wrote...
    It's not illegal for the mentally ill to possess a firearm
    May 30, 2012 6:03 pm
    check out the requirements. A judge must declare a person mental or a person has to have been committed to a mental institution. Most mentally ill people don't fit in those categories. http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/firearms/ Seattle already knows that banning guns is UNCONSTITUTIONAL...especially in parks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Qballrail wrote...
    Mentally Ill
    May 30, 2012 11:40 pm
    I'm sure you will find a good number of LEO's are on some form of anti-depressant and/or anti-anxiety treatment program. It goes with the territory. Let's not get started on the abuses in the Narco Div....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BigGovSux wrote...
    From Dr. Susanna Hupp:
    May 30, 2012 6:17 pm
    ...a survivor of the Luby's massacre in Texas and former legislator. A Democrat even! "How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual; as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of."
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BigGovSux wrote...
    She states:
    May 30, 2012 6:21 pm
    that she would normally have had her licensed pistol with her that day, but in order to comply with Texas law at the time, left her pistol in her car when she went into meet her parents for a meal. When the gunmen came in and started shooting, she instinctively reached into her purse before remembering that she'd left her gun locked in her vehicle. Her father died trying to rush the gunmen and her mother was shot in the head as she sat cradling her dying husband in her arms.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BigGovSux wrote...
    The Mere Fact....
    May 30, 2012 6:30 pm
    That our "leadership's" first response to this tragedy is to talk about more restrictive gun laws, should tell you all you need to know about there competence to hold elective office. Absolutely clueless...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • darthclown wrote...
    I'm a card carrying Liberal
    May 30, 2012 6:26 pm
    and I think this is a dumb idea. Only the law abiding citizens will be effected by this, not the crazies. I'm also a proud owner of multiple guns, and never leave the house unarmed. All of my firearms have been obtained by legal means, because I am a law abiding citizen. However, On my street in Tacoma, I can walk less than a block and drop a C-note and have a gun in ten minutes. This is faster and easier than doing it the right way and nobody asks questions. The problem isn't at the gun shows, it's riding around in the trunk of a stolen Honda.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • astromart wrote...
    Nutless
    May 30, 2012 7:02 pm
    I have lived in the state for over 60 years - the problems in almost every area is when we started electing the nutless to run our lives - go back to wherever the he## you came from. Love
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