FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 5, 2023
PHOENIX – Representative Jennifer Longdon said today she is more committed than ever to pass a firearms safe-storage law in Arizona after a toddler "got hold of a gun" and shot a father in the back earlier this morning at their apartment in Mesa. Thankfully, the man is expected to survive.
Last session, Rep. Longdon introduced House Bill 2192, a safe-storage requirement for homes dubbed "Christian's Law" in honor of Christian Petillo of Gilbert, who at the age of 15 was accidentally shot and killed with an unsecured firearm while at a sleepover with friends. Although common-sense gun violence prevention measures like safe storage are supported by nearly 80 percent of Americans, Republicans blocked the effort and refused to hear the bill.
"Today's near tragedy in Mesa is yet another wakeup call," said Longdon, herself a survivor of gun violence. "Preventable gun violence is a national health crisis, and there is no more preventable act of gun violence than an accidental shooting by a child. My bill, which I will reintroduce in January, simply says that guns stored at home, when not on your person or in use, be stored safely in a securely locked box, or be equipped with a key or combination lock. These locks are designed for quick access to the firearm if needed, but not quick access by a child. We should not wait until another life is lost to display some basic common sense."
