Gun Safety Bill Named For Guilford Teen Now Before U.S. Congress

GUILFORD, CT — Ethan's Law, the gun safety bill named for Guilford teen Ethan Song, and passed by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2019, is now before the U.S. Congress, the state's delegation announced Wednesday.

Song was tragically killed Jan. 31, 2018 after accidentally shooting himself with an unsecured . 357 Magnum while in a neighbor’s home. No charges were filed against the gun owner, who it was reported, had the gun in a bedroom closet. But at the time, the State's Attorney's Office in Waterbury, found the "death of Ethan Song was a horrific and preventable tragedy."

Read the full Patch story from 2018 here.

U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, and U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, all Democrats, led a group of nine Members of Congress in introducing Ethan’s Law, Murphy's office announced.

The legislation would establish federal requirements for safe gun storage and establish robust penalties for violations, Murphy said.

Murphy, Blumenthal, and DeLauro unveiled the legislation during a virtual news conference with Song’s parents, Kristin and Mike Song.

“Far too many lives have been lost due to children getting access to a weapon that’s not securely stored. That has to change," Murphy said. "‘Ethan’s Law’ was enacted in Connecticut and has proven that it works. It’s now time for the Congress to do the same."

In Connecticut, the bill passed the General Assembly in May 2019, an effort led led by State Representative Sean Scanlon and State Senator Christine Cohen. It was signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont a month later.

DeLauro, the bill's sponsor in the House of Representatives, noted in a news release that if "basic safety measures and consequences had been codified into law, Ethan Song’s tragic death could have been prevented."

And she paid tribute to Ethan's parents.

"These tragedies are preventable, and the Congress has a duty to pass legislation that protects our children from senseless and accidental violence," she said. "Mike and Kristin Song turned their own personal tragedy into a crusade to protect children. Ethan’s Law will protect families – both those who own guns and those who do not. Mike and Kristin, you made your voices heard at the state level in Connecticut, and now we must follow your lead on the federal level.”

Kristin Song was quoted in the news release from Murphy as saying: "In the time it takes you to take a breath, my beautiful boy was killed. In the time it takes you to take a breath, the gun that killed my beautiful boy could have been secured."

Kristin Song said that since her son died, "more than 8,700 children have joined Ethan in heaven, and their families have joined my family down the path of tears. There is no hidden agenda behind Ethan's Law. The sole purpose is simple—to keep kids safe."

Under Ethan’s Law, gun owners would be required to secure their firearms in a “secure gun storage or safety device” if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without permission, or if a resident of the dwelling cannot legally possess a firearm, according to Murphy. The bill also includes incentives for states to pass, and enforce their own safe gun storage laws.

In addition to Murphy, Blumenthal, and DeLauro the legislation was cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and in the House by U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-CT), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Jim Himes (D-CT), and Jahana Hayes (D-CT).

The text of the Senate legislation can be found here.