Groups call on South Carolina lawmakers to pass stronger gun reform laws
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Gun safety advocates gathered Tuesday morning at Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston to urge action on gun safety and encourage lawmakers to pass stronger gun reform laws.
It comes as the Charleston community in June will recognize 10 years since a mass shooting at the historic church that claimed the lives of nine parishioners during a Bible study.
Gun safety advocates from South Carolina Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action who attended Tuesday’s event said they hope a line is drawn in the sand this year for change. Their focus is on better background check regulations in South Carolina and closing the so-called “Charleston Loophole.”
The Charleston Loophole is a gap in the federal system that allows gun sales to proceed after three business days, even if the background check has not yet been completed. Dylann Roof, the Emanuel AME Church shooter, was able to purchase a gun even though his background check had not cleared.
Gun safety advocates said South Carolina can address the loophole by giving background check operators more time to determine if a buyer is prohibited.
They said that by ensuring prospective gun owners pass a background check before obtaining a firearm, this law can help keep guns away from criminals, domestic abusers, and the seriously mentally ill, saving lives.
“Almost ten years since the worst day of my life, the soul of our state is still being tested. In an average year in South Carolina, more than 1,000 people die by guns. We need action that comes with a heart for the people,” said Reverend Sharon Risher, who lost her mother and her two cousins in the mass shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church. “Unless our elected leaders support laws that will protect and keep our children safe and my two young grandsons from deadly hate, we will never heal. I have faith these laws can save lives, and that’s why I will never stop speaking out.”
Leaders with Everytown for Gun Safety said South Carolina has the 12th highest rate of gun deaths in the United States with few safeguards in place to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. They added that in an average year, 1,081 people are killed by guns in the state,
The organization said gun violence costs South Carolina around $14 billion each year.
