(WXMI) — On Feb. 13 in Michigan, several gun laws will go into effect. They range from who can possess a gun to how to store your guns securely. After numerous gun incidents in area schools, local officials are glad the new laws are finally here.
"We are ready for the epidemic of gun deaths amongst our kids to stop,” says one school superintendent.
“I applaud the passage of this bill. Hopefully it will be heard by the public to store their guns safely and we can save children's lives,” a family doctor says.
“In May of 2022, we lost a 13-year-old because someone failed to secure a handgun in Grand Rapids,” said a police chief.
They all agree it was time to make sure all guns in Michigan will be locked up or secured.
Dr. Arnetta Thompson, superintendent of Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, said, “We see students with trauma all the time. And this is one trauma that we can help prevent if we can encourage gun owners to safely store them.”
Starting Tuesday, all handguns must have locking devices or be secured in gun safes or lockboxes.
Chief Eric Winstrom of the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) adds, “Ideally, we would want everybody who owns a gun to look at this and say it's time to be a responsible gun owner. It's very simple to get a free gun lock; it's possible to lock your gun in a secure box.”
Safe storage applies to every gun owner in the state if someone under 18 enters your home. Securing handguns is easy.
“We want to make these changes for gun owners as straightforward and as attainable as possible. That's why we also pass legislation to lower costs by exempting firearm safety devices from sales and use taxes. And in many communities like ours, they can be obtained for free,” said State Sen. Winnie Brinks.
Attorney General Dana Nessel says all of these new gun laws will make our state safer, that in states with similar laws, accidental firearm deaths dropped 78 percent.
“We know for a fact that these laws are proven effective in other states to significantly reduce the number of firearm deaths, whether those are suicides, accidental shootings, or homicides, all of this together is going to mean a significant reduction in firearm-related injuries and deaths in Michigan.”
Safely securing your handgun does not have to be expensive. GRPD, along with many other departments, provide gun locks for free. Just come to the lobby and ask.
RELATED: Trinity Health, Muskegon PD distributing free gun locks for a limited time
