GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A series of bills designed to curb gun violence will go into effect on Tuesday in Michigan. Along with background checks, red flag laws and prohibiting those convicted of domestic abuse from possessing a gun, there will be a new provision on storing your weapons safely.
The safe storage law will require gun owners to keep unloaded firearms in a locked storage box or container when it is “reasonably known that a minor is or is likely to be present on the premises.”
That was the focus of a media event Monday at the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids. GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom along with Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, talked about the importance of the new law that requires keeping guns unloaded and safely stored or having trigger locks.
Whitmer signs stricter gun background check, storage bills
Winstrom said those locks, if in use, could have helped avert at least one tragedy in the area recently.
“We’ve had several instances here in Grand Rapids including a 13-year-old killed. That gun was legally possessed, it was just not safely stored. So, if this law was in effect and it had been followed at that time, it would have been a 13-year-old’s life that would have been saved. And this isn’t going to change things overnight, but it is helpful that we’re getting the word out through the media that the message is going to get out there that we are going to hold adults to this standard of you need to be a responsible gun owner,” he said.