佛罗里达州帕克兰一所高中发生的校园枪击案后,尽管全国步枪协会大力游说,佛州的州议会星期三还是通过了新的枪支管制法案。
法案禁止让半自动枪具有全自动射速的撞火枪托,将购买步枪的年龄从18岁升至21岁,军警例外。法案还要求购买任何枪支都要有三天的等候期。
另外,法案还设立了允许培训学校员工在校持枪的相关条件。
星期三的表决之后,在帕克兰高中枪击案中失去女儿的安德鲁·普罗科父亲敦促州长签署这项法案。
他说:“我感谢州长对此巨大的支持,我们团结一道,呼吁州长签署这项历史性的议案,使之成为法律。我们感谢州议会参众两院投票赞成保护孩子,但是还有更多事情要做,团结对美国很重要,就像我们这17个家庭团结一道支持这项议案一样。”
该法案通过的同一天,佛罗里达高中19岁的枪击案嫌疑人被正式起诉犯有17起预谋杀人罪,以及另外17起杀人未遂罪。
尼古拉斯·克鲁兹星期三出庭,但是法官没有给他设定在哪一天要向法庭作出是否认罪的决定。克鲁兹去年被帕克兰的玛乔丽·斯通曼·道格拉斯高中开除。他可能在本案中面临死刑,但是检察官还没有宣布是否要寻求动用这一极刑。
U.S. lawmakers in the state of Florida passed new gun control legislation weeks after the massacre at a local high school and despite lobbying efforts by the National Rifle Association.
The bill bans bump stocks, increases the minimum age to buy a rifle from 18 to 21 with the exception of law enforcement and the military. The bill also requires a three day waiting period for all gun sales.
Additionally, the bill creates conditions allowing trained school employees to carry guns on school property.
Following Wednesday’s vote, the father of one of the victims at the Parkland high school urged the governor to sign the bill into law.
He said: “I want to thank the governor for his tremendous support and we stand united in asking him to sign this historic bill into law. We thank the House and Senate for voting in favor of protecting our children. But more needs to be done and it’s important for the country to unite, in the same way the 17 families united in support of this bill.”
The bill’s passage came on the same day the accused 19-year-old shooter in Parkland, Florida, was indicted on 17 counts of premeditated murder and another 17 counts of attempted murder.
No date was set for Nikolas Cruz to enter a plea during his court appearance Wednesday. Cruz, who was expelled last year from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, could face the death penalty in the case. But the prosecutor has not announced whether he plans to seek the ultimate penalty.