Apalachee School Shooting: State Senator wants 10-day waiting period to buy assault rifles in GA

ATLANTA — Two months after the Apalachee High School shootings a state Senate gun safety study committee is releasing its proposed recommendations.

But not everyone on that committee approves.

One proposal from the Democratic chair of that study committee is calling for a 10-day wait period to buy assault rifles. One Republican on the committee said that’s not something he can support.

In the wake of the shootings, the committee wanted to look at ways to keep children away from unsecured weapons.

But the Democratic chair, state Sen. Emanuel Jones, wanted more and at Thursday’s final meeting, he released a comprehensive list of proposed recommendations including:

• A statewide alert protocol to warn schools of potentially dangerous students.
• A better way to address student mental health.
• The creation of child access prevention laws.
• Creating insurance policy benefits for safe storage devices.
• Creating a statewide director’s position to oversee all this.
• And most controversial -- create a 10-day waiting period to buy assault rifles.

Jones thinks he can get them all passed.

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“My goal is always to go long and to go big so I believe we can get all these things passed,” Jones said.

But one Republican on that committee, state Sen. Frank Ginn, told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that he does not and will not support a 10-day waiting period for a gun purchase.

Meanwhile, House Democrats are planning to address gun safety measures such as requiring assault rifle owners to buy liability insurance.

Johns Creek Democrat Michelle Au thinks she can get passed a tax incentive for the purchase of a gun safety device such as a gun locker -- something even some house Republicans support.

“I think especially after the Apalachee shooting where the shooter was 14 years old, it was natural to ask how a 14-year-old could get access to this weapon and to think in very reasonable ways that we can prevent this from happening in the future,” Au said.

Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ office had no comment on the recommendations but pointed out this was a draft of a final report, and not the final report itself.

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