Three months after the Lunar New Year shooting claimed 11 lives in Monterey Park, local and state officials on Monday announced new legislation that they hope will prevent similar shootings in the future.
The first bill would remove all guns from the possession of someone convicted of a crime using a firearm. The second prevents law enforcement or other government agencies from reselling guns to the community.
“Let’s make sure we destroy those guns, not resell them,” said Cristine DeBerry, founder and executive director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, which supports the bills.
“State and local government agencies should not be arms dealers,” added Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), whose district includes Monterey Park.
The third bill requires a translator to be present at events where a significant population in the community speaks a language other than English.
Other supporters of the new bills include Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, Monterey Park Mayor Jose Sanchez and gun violence survivor LaNaisha Edward. They joined DeBerry and Fong at a press conference in Monterey Park Monday morning.
“Each of these bills is focused on trying to reduce the number of guns, very simply. Reduce the number of guns in the hands of people we know might be dangerous with them … These are things we can do that are commonsense, easy reforms,” DeBerry told KTLA.
The United States is on pace to set a record for mass shootings. So far this year, 88 people have died in 17 shootings, according to the Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
In addition to the shootings in Monterey Park, prominent attacks include shootings at the Covenant School in Tennessee last month and a birthday party in Alabama about a week ago.
