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Gun bills coming in Michigan after 2nd school mass shooting

Gun bills coming in Michigan after 2nd school mass shooting
November 30th 2021. Oxford High School in southeastern Michigan, *** 15 year old student using *** handgun shot and killed four students, six students and one teacher were injured using Oxford as an example. We examine what is any school supposed to do before and after *** shooting, this is clarified, my son is not *** child anymore. You know, when you're, when you're *** teenager, there's *** certain like cloak of invincibility that you're, you're surrounded by loss isn't something they know much of Once the shooting happened, it just, it took all that away. Lori Bordeaux's son survived the shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan in 2021 and he is now *** senior. They're still looking for answers on the morning of November 31, an Oxford student exhibited troubling signs. He was seeing, researching bullets online, creating disturbing drawings, watching shooting videos and even left *** dead bird head in the bathroom after seeing these red flags, the student, his family, school counselors and administrators met, but his parents refused to take him home and he was allowed to stay at school. The gun was in his backpack later that same day, he would use it and kill four students. What should *** school do when seeing these red flags? What could have prevented the tragedy? FBI guidelines say by engaging in the assessment and management process. As soon as *** person of concerns, identified threat managers are more likely to succeed in preventing *** violent outcome. Management strategy should be led by *** threat assessment team to help identify potential suicidal or homicidal students before an incident occurs. According to the district's guidelines, the team should also inform parents and coordinate services with law enforcement and mental health agencies. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends that all school staff members participate in annual risk assessment training and simulation drills. The year after the shooting, two former school board members say they stepped down because the district failed to enact threat assessment policies that have been approved since 2004. Given the events at Oxford High School, Lori, her son and other local families also question of proper threat assessment procedures took place before the shooting over *** year after the shooting at Oxford, an independent investigation has yet to be completed. By comparison, the investigation into Parkland shooting took 180 days for Uvalde 90 days. The people who have the answers aren't going to speak. So at this point in time, it's gotta be mandatory and it has to come with subpoena power. We can't leave it up to the people who are saying we did nothing wrong. Just recently, *** Michigan judge ruled that the school district and its employees cannot be defendants in two wrongful death lawsuits. Lawyers for the plaintiffs vowed to appeal and several other suits are still pending. The Oxford School District declined three offers from the Michigan Attorney General's Office to investigate the shooting separate from the sheriff's own investigation. Instead, the school district has hired Guidepost Solutions, *** security consulting firm to conduct an independent review of the days leading up to during and after the mass shooting. In an email, the school said people inside and outside our community who have joined our call for transparency and accountability can rest assured that all facts will come to light through the ongoing criminal investigation and various lawsuits. The review is expected to be completed in spring 2023. Lori Bordeaux said she hopes litigation will lead to *** federal investigation of the school and prevent future incidents of gun violence by pressuring the school to implement threat assessment training. We talked to one of the contributors of the fbi's guide to threat assessments. Katherine Sh White parents and the community are frustrated about whether the threat assessment process worked or didn't work. One of the things that I think it's fair to ask is, did they know about it ahead of time? What was the threat assessment team doing or, or was it, you know, form over substance following Sandy Hook in 2012. Katherine worked under then Vice President Biden to create and run the active shooter program. This aim to help communities prevent and recover from similar tragedies. I authored the initial research that the FBI did in the first few years of the time that we studied 2000, early, two, 2000, there were six incidents *** year using the same criteria that number rose to 60 incidents in 2021. It almost seems like until it hits *** community they don't do perhaps all they could do because there is always *** great desire to hope it never happens here When it does happen. Trauma and other challenges are likely to follow. According to research, K through 12 students who had been exposed to *** shooting at school are more likely to be chronically absent or held back *** grade, less likely to graduate high school or attend college By their mid 20s. Students exposed to *** shooting were more likely to be unemployed and had lower earnings compared to their peers who had not experienced the school shooting. *** couple of weeks after the shooting, my son said he wanted to switch schools. Our Children went right back to the exact same classrooms. The only thing they did was close one classroom, one bathroom. My son went back to the same fifth hour that he was in that day. And um That's the type of thing that honestly an investigation should be looking into is how did that affect our Children. In August 2022, Oxford schools announced *** three-year recovery plan that includes security threat assessment upgrades and mental health support in order to reclaim their school district and community makes me sad to think they lost their community because they haven't. And I think that's one of the big takeaways for me having been at so many of these scenes is all they've dealt with is somebody who intruded into their community. They shouldn't really have to feel that they have to reclaim it. It's always going to be theirs. When reached for comment, Oxford High responded From day one. We have cooperated with the ongoing criminal investigation and will continue to do so because our community deserves justice and accountability. We are also fully cooperating with the civil litigation process and will continue to do so. Sadly, Oxford is not *** unique tragedy. These types of shootings are on the rise and they have been for several years and that is in great part of culture issue for the United States, for communities that don't talk to their kids about the stresses they might be under, but also don't lock their guns up. You know, it's astonishing to think that most school shootings occur with *** legally purchased and available gun to somebody who may be *** minor, 90% of shootings by minors involved *** gun found in the home. That was the case for the Oxford shooter whose parents purchased *** handgun for their son days before the shooting, the parents were charged with four counts of manslaughter. Their trial has been temporarily halted by the Michigan Supreme Court and sent back to the court of appeals. Both parents remain in custody. Michigan currently doesn't require gun owners to secure their guns safely. Only these states do. Kelly Breen, *** Michigan state representative is looking to change that michiganders and people across the country agree that red flag legislation or extreme risk protection orders, safe storage and improving background checks. Those just makes sense. They just make sense. It's not just about stopping the next mass shooting, but it's about making sure that somebody poses an imminent threat to themselves or others. While making this video. Michigan was struck by another school shooting on February 13th, 2023. *** man killed three students and injured five others in *** dining hall at Michigan State before killing himself. One disturbing aspect of this event. Survivors of both the Oxford High school shooting and the Sandy Hook shooting grew up and were now attending Michigan State surviving one school shooting only to have to survive. Yet another talking about school shootings is complicated. But understanding the facts is the first step toward finding solutions to protect students.
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Gun bills coming in Michigan after 2nd school mass shooting
Armed with two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition, 43-year-old Anthony McRae open fired on the Michigan State University campus on the night of Feb. 13, killing three students and wounding five more.The mass shooting has pushed Michigan Democrats, who had already planned to prioritize changes to gun laws, into action.Video above: See some of the ways schools and officials have responded to school shootingsDemocrats are expected to bring a sweeping 11-bill gun safety package before the Michigan Legislature this week, emboldened by their sweeping victories in statewide elections in November that gave them legislative control. Responding to two mass school shootings in 15 months, the party's leaders say it is only the beginning of gun reform in the state."Nothing is off the table," said Democratic state Sen. Rosemary Bayer, who leads the firearm safety caucus. "But every state has a culture. So I think we're trying to be conscious of Michigan and how we do things."The package aims to establish safe storage laws, universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws. Lawmakers will consider the package less than three years after protesters armed with guns entered the statehouse."Tyrannical government, like we're witnessing here today, is why the Second Amendment is here in the first place," Republican Rep. Angela Rigas said on the House floor prior to Democrats voting to approve universal background checks last week.The bills were introduced in the days following the shooting at Michigan State University. Students across the vast campus were ordered to shelter in place for four hours while police hunted for McRae who — when confronted by police — killed himself near his Lansing home.Students killed in the shooting were Arielle Anderson, 19; Brian Fraser, 20; and Alexandria Verner, 20, all of suburban Detroit.Much of the package was crafted by Democrats nearly 15 months ago following a shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead and seven others injured. The bills saw little movement with Republicans controlling the House and Senate.But now, with Democrats in full control of state government for the first time in decades, the bills quickly came before House and Senate committees earlier this month. Gun violence survivors and the families of victims packed committee meeting rooms and gave tearful testimony to lawmakers."I'm not asking for your pity. I'm asking for your change," Oxford High School senior Reina St. Juliana told lawmakers during a hearing March 2. St. Juliana's younger sister, Hana, was killed in the Oxford shooting.Krista Grettenberger attended a hearing Wednesday to tell lawmakers about a phone call she received Feb. 13 from her 21-year-old son, MSU student Troy Forbush."My son called my cellphone and said: 'I love you mom. I've been shot. There's a shooter,'" Grettenberger said. Forbush was critically injured in the shooting, but survived."We are victim of a failed system that can't keep guns from those who aim to inflict devastating harm," Grettenberger said.Mass shootings across the U.S. in recent years seem to have widen the political divide on gun ownership. In Democratic-led states with restrictive gun laws, elected officials have responded to home-state tragedies by enacting and proposing even more limits on guns. In many states with Republican-led legislatures, the shootings appear unlikely to prompt any new restrictions this year, reflecting a belief that violent people, not their possession of weapons, is the problem.Michigan law requires someone buying firearms such as rifles or shotguns to be 18 years or older and at least 21 years old to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer. Certain licenses allow 18-year-olds to purchase handguns from private sellers.Police said they found dozens of rounds of ammunition on McRae, the MSU shooter, in addition to two handguns that were legally purchased but never registered. Legislation passed in the House Wednesday would address that loophole, shifting the responsibility to perform the background check and register the firearm with police onto the seller.Democrats say safe storage and red flag laws could have stopped the Oxford attack."The whole story of Oxford was this kid just grabbed his parents' gun and took it to school and it wasn't locked up. There was no safe, there was no gun lock. There was no check on this kid," said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who represents East Lansing.The student accused in the shooting when he was just 15, Ethan Crumbley, has pleaded guilty to killing four fellow students and wounding seven other people using a gun that he said was purchased by his father.James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with involuntary manslaughter. They're accused of making the gun accessible to their son and failing to reasonably care for Ethan when he showed signs of mental distress.Bayer told The Associated Press that she expects legislation implementing universal background checks and safe storage laws to quickly make it through the state Senate, but that Democrats are "still working on" red flag laws.Republicans argue that current gun laws need to be better enforced, not altered. A former prosecutor dropped a felony charge against McRae in 2019 that would have barred him from owning a firearm."If they don't pick up a gun, they could drive a car into a school. We need to try to find the mental health for these individuals," Republican state Rep. Luke Meerman told AP. "If they've had some kind of criminal history, we have to make sure that they're getting right sentences or that they're okay to come out of prison."Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt and House Republican Leader Matt Hall did not respond to questions from the AP, including whether they planned to support the package.

Armed with two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition, 43-year-old Anthony McRae open fired on the Michigan State University campus on the night of Feb. 13, killing three students and wounding five more.

The mass shooting has pushed Michigan Democrats, who had already planned to prioritize changes to gun laws, into action.

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Video above: See some of the ways schools and officials have responded to school shootings

Democrats are expected to bring a sweeping 11-bill gun safety package before the Michigan Legislature this week, emboldened by their sweeping victories in statewide elections in November that gave them legislative control. Responding to two mass school shootings in 15 months, the party's leaders say it is only the beginning of gun reform in the state.

"Nothing is off the table," said Democratic state Sen. Rosemary Bayer, who leads the firearm safety caucus. "But every state has a culture. So I think we're trying to be conscious of Michigan and how we do things."

The package aims to establish safe storage laws, universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws. Lawmakers will consider the package less than three years after protesters armed with guns entered the statehouse.

"Tyrannical government, like we're witnessing here today, is why the Second Amendment is here in the first place," Republican Rep. Angela Rigas said on the House floor prior to Democrats voting to approve universal background checks last week.

The bills were introduced in the days following the shooting at Michigan State University. Students across the vast campus were ordered to shelter in place for four hours while police hunted for McRae who — when confronted by police — killed himself near his Lansing home.

Students killed in the shooting were Arielle Anderson, 19; Brian Fraser, 20; and Alexandria Verner, 20, all of suburban Detroit.

Much of the package was crafted by Democrats nearly 15 months ago following a shooting at Oxford High School that left four students dead and seven others injured. The bills saw little movement with Republicans controlling the House and Senate.

But now, with Democrats in full control of state government for the first time in decades, the bills quickly came before House and Senate committees earlier this month. Gun violence survivors and the families of victims packed committee meeting rooms and gave tearful testimony to lawmakers.

"I'm not asking for your pity. I'm asking for your change," Oxford High School senior Reina St. Juliana told lawmakers during a hearing March 2. St. Juliana's younger sister, Hana, was killed in the Oxford shooting.

Krista Grettenberger attended a hearing Wednesday to tell lawmakers about a phone call she received Feb. 13 from her 21-year-old son, MSU student Troy Forbush.

"My son called my cellphone and said: 'I love you mom. I've been shot. There's a shooter,'" Grettenberger said. Forbush was critically injured in the shooting, but survived.

"We are victim of a failed system that can't keep guns from those who aim to inflict devastating harm," Grettenberger said.

Mass shootings across the U.S. in recent years seem to have widen the political divide on gun ownership. In Democratic-led states with restrictive gun laws, elected officials have responded to home-state tragedies by enacting and proposing even more limits on guns. In many states with Republican-led legislatures, the shootings appear unlikely to prompt any new restrictions this year, reflecting a belief that violent people, not their possession of weapons, is the problem.

Michigan law requires someone buying firearms such as rifles or shotguns to be 18 years or older and at least 21 years old to purchase a handgun from a federally licensed dealer. Certain licenses allow 18-year-olds to purchase handguns from private sellers.

Police said they found dozens of rounds of ammunition on McRae, the MSU shooter, in addition to two handguns that were legally purchased but never registered. Legislation passed in the House Wednesday would address that loophole, shifting the responsibility to perform the background check and register the firearm with police onto the seller.

Democrats say safe storage and red flag laws could have stopped the Oxford attack.

"The whole story of Oxford was this kid just grabbed his parents' gun and took it to school and it wasn't locked up. There was no safe, there was no gun lock. There was no check on this kid," said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who represents East Lansing.

The student accused in the shooting when he was just 15, Ethan Crumbley, has pleaded guilty to killing four fellow students and wounding seven other people using a gun that he said was purchased by his father.

James and Jennifer Crumbley are charged with involuntary manslaughter. They're accused of making the gun accessible to their son and failing to reasonably care for Ethan when he showed signs of mental distress.

Bayer told The Associated Press that she expects legislation implementing universal background checks and safe storage laws to quickly make it through the state Senate, but that Democrats are "still working on" red flag laws.

Republicans argue that current gun laws need to be better enforced, not altered. A former prosecutor dropped a felony charge against McRae in 2019 that would have barred him from owning a firearm.

"If they don't pick up a gun, they could drive a car into a school. We need to try to find the mental health for these individuals," Republican state Rep. Luke Meerman told AP. "If they've had some kind of criminal history, we have to make sure that they're getting right sentences or that they're okay to come out of prison."

Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt and House Republican Leader Matt Hall did not respond to questions from the AP, including whether they planned to support the package.