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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

  • myopinion wrote...
    In Case
    May 31, 2012 7:51 am
    You idiots that want to turn this tragedy into a political football go a head. I go to gun showes all the time, and I cna buy a gun in minutes, no waiting period, no background check nothing. As along as you have unfeddered access to handguns and nuts like the one yesterdaythat can buy them, you will have this kind of random killing. Any law that you pass, effects only law abiding people not thugs or criminals. I have a CCW permit, I have been in the military and am well trained in the use of firearms. Had this clown started shooting up th cafe with me close by he would not have the chance to end his petty useless life, I would have done it for him. As a combat veteran I have shot and killed many people from Desert Storm to Iraq. And I don't loose sleep. So everyone should be armed and trained and be prepared to engage any fool like the one yesterday. At least only two people would have lost thier lives.
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  • Seattle Dad wrote...
    Hate to state the obvious.... but
    May 31, 2012 7:52 am
    Isn't it illegal to murder someone? So Ralph is saying that if we add another law, people intent on murder will be stopped in their tracks and the crazy man wouldn't go in and start blowing people away. So Chicago and New York have MUCH tougher gun laws.....how's that working out? The absence of logic here is STUNNING!.
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  • myopinion wrote...
    HEY AJ
    May 31, 2012 7:56 am
    I DON'T LIKE YOU, YOU ARE AN ADMITTED FELON, SO FOR ME YOU HAVE NO SAY IN GUN OWNERSHIP SINCE YOU CAN'T LEGALLY OWN ONE. WE WANT TO PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL BUT WE DON'T WANT TO FUND THE JAILS, THIS IS NOT A LIBERAL THING OR A CONSERVATIVE THING IT IS US AS A SOCIETY AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE MENTAL ILLNESS LIKE YOU OR FELONS LIKE YOU THAT GET THIER HANDS ON FIREARMS.
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  • Cbrew wrote...
    All caps eh?
    May 31, 2012 8:02 am
    Who's AJ?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gomariners wrote...
    Cbrew
    May 31, 2012 8:31 am
    You don't want to know.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    Here's one I saw on a bumper sticker and is good for a laugh
    May 31, 2012 7:59 am
    Gun Control: Guns Kill people like Spoons make Rosie O'donnell fat
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • gomariners wrote...
    Cars
    May 31, 2012 8:05 am
    They kill people! Especially after they have been drinking or speeding or texting! Ban them (McGinn is trying). I need to shell out the money to get a CPL asap.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • adiru wrote...
    Has anybody been to the UK
    May 31, 2012 8:25 am
    Since their gun ban? The public is not allowed to defend themselves- even carrying a pocket knife is illegal. Gangs with knives have been proliferating doing rape, armed robbery, and assaults. Since the public can't depend on the police a lot of them have been looking out for themselves by carrying knives as well, which is a crime in itself. In essence, the UK has reduced gun crime, increased knife and other crimes, and created many new criminals out of previously law-abiding subjects.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Predictable
    May 31, 2012 8:28 am
    And here they come out of the woodwork. Fasciatelli should read US Supreme Court case law that has overturned gun ban laws in Chicago and Washington DC. Try again.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cbrew wrote...
    There's no way gun control will ever take hold
    May 31, 2012 8:38 am
    The 2nd Amendment provides us the right to bear arms, Anybody tries to change that they will face huge opposition. Personally I think anybody that believes in a flat out ban on firearms needs to leave our country and find a nice communist regime that supports their idea of a defenseless public. See how they feel about it then when the Government cracks down on them and the best they can muster is a few stones to hurl back.
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  • Sashadog wrote...
    Yes, Fascitelli is an idiot
    May 31, 2012 8:35 am
    It is already illegal for anyone under 21 to own a handgun.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tommyR wrote...
    Editorializingq
    May 31, 2012 8:36 am
    This article is a proxy for the reporters opinion on the subject. Be honest and present this as an editorial. You could have quoted Ted Nugent and presented the other side of the issue first. Stop editorializing in the guise of news reporting.
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  • TheNewsChick wrote...
    Reporting...not an editorial Tommy R
    May 31, 2012 8:57 am
    Both sides are represented in this story. I'm working on a follow up...guns save lives. Looking at a few cases where people say without a gun, they wouldn't be alive today.
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  • rational wrote...
    TheNewsChick
    May 31, 2012 10:31 am
    May I also suggest checking what many are referring to as "gun show loopholes"?

    I've only been to a few gun shows, but the Washington Arms collectors, ones, for example, require a background check as part of membership...and only members can purchase guns at their shows...so what loophole? Now I imagine that there are other organizations holding gun shows as well and I don't know what rules and controls they utilize, but my limited experience indicates there is no loophole, at least for the local shows. Now you can attend without membership, but I don't believe you can purchase.

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  • dori monson fan wrote...
    the problem here is ignoring mental illness
    May 31, 2012 8:41 am
    once again, the family said they saw this coming. we need to figure out a way to get known crazies the help/meds they need. bearded dude could have just as easily hopped in a car and plowed into the cafe with the same results. or blown it up with gasoline. rip to all of the deceased.
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