Weekly Spotlight 4/26/24 – 5/2/24
New Orleans Authorities Quick to Play the Blame Game After Shooting. There’s Just One Problem…
Following a recent shooting in the Warehouse District, a popular nightlife area in New Orleans, that left one person dead and 11 others injured, local authorities and Louisiana politicians have been quick to blame a recently passed state law that protects the right of law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed firearm in public. Before suspects were even identified, the Chief of the New Orleans Police Department, local elected officials, and activists immediately called out the “Constitutional Carry” law, which Louisiana state lawmakers passed and Governor Jeff Landry signed in March, as the culprit of this senseless violence.
There are several problems with this logic and scapegoating, with the most glaring issue being that the constitutional carry law has not even taken effect yet. It will not be in effect statewide until July 4, 2024. Therefore, the blame game being played by local authorities is nonsensical. Rather than emphasizing the need to find the criminals responsible for the shooting and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, they decided to score cheap political points. This demonstrates that they’re not truly interested in real solutions to curbing violent crime.
Furthermore, the shooter or shooters responsible for this killing in New Orleans have not yet been identified. That means there is no way of knowing how their firearm was obtained or if the parties responsible would have been permitted to concealed carry under the newly passed and yet-to-be-implemented law. In all likelihood, the guns were purchased illegally or they were violating the law in some other manner that would’ve precluded them from lawfully carrying a concealed weapon.
Finally, Constitutional Carry, even if it had been in effect at the time of the shooting, has no impact on the ability of law enforcement to bring the people responsible for this heinous act to justice. Constitutional carry does not permit citizens to commit senseless acts of violence. The actions taken that night would still amount to murder and attempted murder, and punishing the people responsible so they can’t harm others should be the top priority.
See how the USCCA-FSL stands with law-abiding gun owners to protect concealed carry rights!
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- Washington Examiner: Chaos Breaks Out On Tennessee House Floor After Lawmakers Pass Controversial Teacher Gun Bill
The Tennessee legislature passed a controversial bill allowing teachers to carry guns, causing protesters to scream their disapproval and cause chaotic scenes on the state House floor. The bill was passed just over a year after the Covenant school shooting when a former student killed three students and three adults. It was strongly objected to by Democrats and gun control activists, who made a scene in the state Capitol building.
- Colorado Politics: Colorado House Passes Three Gun Bills Following Late-Night Debate
House Democrats voted to pass three gun bills late on Saturday night, including one that would require gun owners to obtain a liability insurance policy for their firearms. The bills all drew criticism from Republicans, who claimed they would violate the Second Amendment, while supporters argued they would enhance public safety. Here’s a brief overview of each bill and some of the debate that took place during the final votes on Saturday.
- Breitbart: New Orleans Police Chief Pushes More Gun-Free Zones — Where Tourists Can’t Be Armed For Self-Defense
New Orleans police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick wants gun-free zones within the city where even licensed concealed carriers would be barred from carrying for self-defense. 4WWL reported that Kirkpatrick is pushing the zones in response to the constitutional carry bill signed by Gov. Jeff Landry (R) on March 5, 2024. “New Orleans is unique. And this is not a one-size-fits-all bill. And so, what would apply and maybe be perfectly acceptable in a different part of the state of Louisiana, it’s not going to be effective for the entire city of New Orleans,” Kirkpatrick said. “Too much gun violence as it is in the city. We’ve made great strides. This will reverse the strides.”
- The Washington Post: Maine Lawmakers Adopt Some Gun-Control Measures After 2023 Mass Killing
After a gunman killed 18 people last year at a bowling alley and a bar in Maine, legislators pledged to revisit the state’s gun laws. This week, after months of debate, they approved new restrictions on weapons sales but did not pass a measure that would have significantly strengthened the ability to remove guns from those deemed dangerous. Maine, a largely rural state where gun ownership is common, is a place where even some Democratic lawmakers had been reluctant to enact fresh limits on guns.
###