(MADISON, WI) — Wisconsin has a number of firearm-related laws in effect that limit access for children and individuals with a history of violence, even restricting individuals under 18 from possessing guns, according to state laws.
As many questions remain unanswered in the investigation into why a 15-year-old girl allegedly opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a student and teacher, before apparently taking her own life, according to authorities. Police have not yet revealed whether they have uncovered the motive behind the attack.
Two students were hospitalized in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while another three students and a teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
While police say it remains unclear how the shooter obtained the gun used in the shooting, there are a number of state laws regulating firearms that could be relevant as law enforcement continues its investigation.
Wisconsin state law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from possessing a firearm.
The state has a child access prevention law in place that deems a gun owner guilty of misdemeanor if a child under 14 obtains a firearm without lawful permission from a parent or guardian or if the child discharges the firearm causing bodily harm to anyone.
Criminal penalties do not apply if the gun is securely locked or secured with a trigger lock.
Police said they are not currently looking to charge the shooter’s parents in connection with the deadly shooting.
The state does not have any laws in place that require unattended firearms to be stored a certain way and it does not require that a locking device be sold with a firearm. State laws do not require firearm owners to lock their weapons.
Wisconsin does not require background checks for gun purchases, except to obtain a concealed carry license.
While Wisconsin does not have an extreme risk protection law in place — which would strip individuals of their right to possess arms temporarily if they pose a risk to themselves or others — there are some categories of people who cannot legally possess guns.
Local leaders have called for stronger gun laws with Madison’s mayor stressing the need for gun violence prevention and saying she wants the community and country to make sure “no public official ever has to stand in this position again.”
“I hoped that this day would never come in Madison,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.
Jill Underly, Wisconsin’s superintendent of public instruction, also emphasized the need for change, saying in a statement, “This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to protect our children and our educators to ensure that such horrors never happen again. We will not rest until we find solutions that make our schools safe.”
Anyone convicted of a felony in Wisconsin, convicted of a crime in another state that is a felony in Wisconsin or been found not guilty of a felony by reason of “mental disease or defect” is prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Council’s memorandum on gun laws.
Federal law also prohibits anyone who is a fugitive from justice or someone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing firearms.
Anyone involuntarily committed for mental illness, drug dependance or alcohol dependence is also prohibited from possessing a firearm, according the the memorandum. Anyone adjudicated incompetent by a court in a guardianship proceeding or was ordered into protective placement is also prohibited from possessing a gun.
People subject to certain temporary restraining orders relating to abuse — domestic abuse, child abuse, individual at risk and harassment — are also prohibited from possessing firearms under state law. But the law has a limited scope and does not apply to everyone who has a restraining order against them.
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