On Friday, Colorado Governor Jaren Polis signed four new gun control measures into law aimed at addressing the rising rates of gun violence and suicides in the state. The measures are also intended to prevent mass shootings, while providing avenues for victims of gun violence to sue the firearm industry.
While some Colorado residents have been advocating for reforms in the aftermath of mass shootings in the state, lawmakers were unable to pass a measure that would have banned sales of assault-style weapons in Colorado. Earlier this month, House Bill 1230 that would have banned the sale or transfer of such weapons, was rejected by the House Judiciary Committee.
However, the mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ night club in Colorado Springs, that killed five people and injured another 25, prompted the introduction of House Bill 1230. A handful of states, including California, Illinois, New York, and Maryland, have already banned assault weapons.
Gun rights groups have already filed lawsuits to reverse two of the new measures signed into law by Governor Polis: raising the buying age for any gun from 18 to 21, and establishing a 3-day waiting period between the purchase and receipt of a gun. The courts are already weighing similar lawsuits in other states.
The Colorado Springs Gazette published a list of the state’s mass shootings, highlighting the Chuck E. Cheese shooting in 1993, the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, the Aurora movie theater shooting in 2012, and the King Soopers grocery store shooting earlier this year in 2021.
The new gun control measures are a response to the growing concerns over the increasing frequency of mass shootings in Colorado, with the governor’s decision also inspired by the Club Q shooting. The measures aim to address the rising rates of gun violence, youth violence, and suicides in the state, while opening avenues for victims of gun violence to seek justice.
Despite the new gun control measures, the issue of gun violence remains a contentious and complex one in Colorado and across the country. The debate surrounding the balance between gun rights and public safety is sure to continue in the years to come.
