NOBLESVILLE, Ind.–The state needs better gun safety laws. That was the message from Noblesville Schools students at the Indiana Statehouse Tuesday.
The students are supporting a bill aimed at stronger gun storage laws after prosecutors said a student shot two people at Noblesville West Middle School last May.
Investigators say the shooter got the guns out of his family’s gun safe. The bill says “failure to secure a gun that results in the injury or death of another person” could result in a felony charge. Rep. John Bartlett, a Democrat from Indianapolis, wrote the bill.
Members of Students Demand Action Nobesville looked up lawmakers’ schedules and tracked down Sen. Victoria Spartz, a Republican from Noblesville.
“Would you vote in favor of a bill for safe storage laws?” Noblesville High School senior Emily Cole asked.
Spartz said she’d have to look over the structure of a bill before deciding.
The students are advocating for a bill aimed at stronger gun storage laws after prosecutors said the Noblesville school shooter pulled guns from his family’s gun safe.
Under House Bill 1040, “failure to secure a gun that results in the injury or death of another person” could result in a felony charge. Rep. John Bartlett, a Democrat from Indianapolis, wrote the bill.
Spartz offered to visit Nobesville Schools to talk more about the issues.
The students were disappointed in her response when asked by Noblesville High School freshman Nolan Weaver if she thought a bill “to make sure that kids can’t get guns” was a good idea.
“I don’t want to comment on the gun bills because we have so many bills,” Spartz said.
Noblesville Schools excused the kids for their Statehouse visit. Weaver was an eighth-grader at the middle school when the shooting happened there.
“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I had to go through on that day,” he said.
The students say they also left a message trying to reach State Rep. Chuck Goodrich, a Republican from Noblesville.
They also spoke with State Rep. Ed Delaney, a Democrat from Indianapolis who encouraged them to keep up their passion.
(PHOTO: WISH TV)
