The author of several California Gun Safety laws introduced a bill that would require school administrators to collect information from parents about guns stored at home and would mandate backpack, locker, and car searches if there is a credible threat or danger of mass casualty.
State Sen. Anthony Portantino (D – La Cañada Flintridge) introduced State Bill 906 following a Nov. 30 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan where 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley shot seven, four people were killed and seven injured. School officials had met with Crumbly meerly hours before the shooting occurred to discuss behavioral concerns.
"We saw what inaction does in Michigan," Portantino said. "Inaction leads to a tragedy. By empowering school districts with information and the mandate to investigate, we're taking that inaction off the table."
Under the bill, several provisions aimed to reduce school shootings would take place. Public and charter schools would have to annually provide educational material on safe firearm storage to parents or guardians of students.
Schools must immediately report credible violent threats to law enforcment authorities, and school leaders, in consultation with law enforcement, must search a student’s on-campus property for the presence of firearms. The bill found requires schools to include information related to the safe storage of firearms in the annual notification provided to the parents or guardians.
Additionally, the State Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Justice, will develop model content for public or charter schools on a threat or perceived threat of a mass shooting incident.
“When in approximately 68% of school shootings the firearm was taken from the student’s home, friend, or relative, California needs to move the needle and take prudent public safety steps to address this problem. When we know that in 93% of those incidents the attack was planned in advance and in many instances threatening or concerning communications prior to the attack elicit concern from parents, friends, and educators, we must move from threat assessment to protective action without hesitation,” concluded Portantino.
