While the city council and the mayor’s office has been ignoring this issue for several years, it came to a head today;
According to court documents, the victim was shot in the right eye and died from a gunshot wound to his head. Early indications show the gunshot happened from the range of 3 feet, court documents say.
The 9MM handgun was a stolen gun from an unlocked car in Sioux Falls, according to court documents.
The council has said that since there is an open carry law in South Dakota and of course 2nd Amendment rights they can’t write an ordinance that will punish negligible gun owners.
I suggested to Starr there is a reach around. This of course hasn’t been thru lawyering but this was my suggestion for an ordinance;
ANY DEADLY WEAPON* STOLEN FROM AN INDIVIDUAL’S HOME OR VEHICLE AND IS USED IN A CRIME WILL BE SUBJECT TO A FINE FOR NOT SECURING THAT WEAPON.
*A ‘DEADLY weapon’ is described as anything that can be used to cause bodily harm, injury or death when used by an individual.
I would also suggest another similar ordinance that just addresses your weapon being stolen then recovered before it is used in a crime.
In other words you avoid the ‘gun talk’. It could be anything, a hammer, a bat, a knife, a taser, etc. If we focus on WEAPONS being stolen from cars instead of just guns, I don’t think the 2nd Amendment applies. Just because you have the constitutional right to own a gun, you don’t have a right to abuse those privileges. Lock your crap up already before some other teenager is found dead.
I would also suggest the fine be $1,000 and if someone dies from your stolen gun it should be $10,000 and 3 months in jail. It’s time to send a message to these idiots who don’t know how to lock a door.