Slotkin leads new bill to punish parents for not securing guns from children who use them

FOX 2 - Two weeks after a shooting at Oxford High School left four students dead, Rep. Elissa Slotkin says she had to respond to this tragedy - by working to prevent another one like it, in the future.

The suspected shooter, Ethan Crumbley, used a gun that his parents purchased for him. They are now facing manslaughter charges.

"All across the country we happen to have kids who are getting their hands on weapons, because their parents have guns In the house and don’t secure them," said Slotkin (D-8th District)

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Slotkin introduced legislation that requires the safe storage of guns, called the Safe Guns Safe Kids Act.

"If you’re going to be a responsible gun owner and you have children in the home, you have to lock it up," she said. "You have to put it in the safe, you have to put it in a secure location.

"If that child goes on to commit a crime or hurt others, you could be liable, you could be held accountable criminally for up to five years in prison."

Some gun owners FOX 2 spoke to applaud the law and hope it will get passed.

"They should face jail time," said Mattie Williams, a gun owner, Southfield.

"The law should be passed," said Harold Hogue, a gun owner. "You've got to face the consequences for your errors."

Slotkin says she has GOP support from across the aisle.

"I’ve heard from a lot of Republicans who say yeah it just makes sense," she said.

As for critics who believe this law is an infringement on the rights of some citizens, Slotkin offers this argument:

"This isn’t about your gun, this is about kids' safety," she said.

Slotkin believes in passing the Safe Guns Safe Kids Act will save lives.

"There’s an accidental shooting by a child, one a day in this country and 91 percent of the victims are other children. It’s children killing children."

Slotkin believes the Safe Guns Safe Kids Act can bring about a positive change

"We want to get Republican and Democratic co-sponsors on the bill, and then my hope would be as we head into early next year, that we get time to actually bring it to a vote," she said.