A Guilford couple has been calling for stricter gun legislation after their teenage son died in an accidental shooting and now there is a push for gun storage legislation on the federal level as well.
Kristin and Mike Song are the parents of Ethan Song, a 15-year-old boy who died in a shooting last January. They, along with U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal will hold a news conference Friday morning to announce a proposal for new legislation.
The Waterbury State's Attorney's office investigation into Ethan's death determined that the teen accidentally shot himself with a .357 magnum handgun. He and another teen were at a home on Seaside Avenue, with no adults present, at the time of the shooting, according to police.
The state's attorney report called Ethan’s death a “horrific and preventable tragedy” and found the gun had been stored with other firearms in a cardboard box inside Tupperware in the master bedroom closet.
While there were gun locks and no signs the firearms were loaded, investigators learned the keys and ammunition were also hidden in the closet.
The report concluded the storage of the weapons did not break the law and it’s led some to believe the law has a loophole that needs to be closed.
The family previously proposed “Ethan's Law” on the state level, which would create legislation they said would close a loophole and require all guns to be properly stored as well as amend rules on when a firearm must be secured.
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It would also close a perceived loophole in Connecticut law that prohibited prosecutors from charging the owner of the gun Ethan shot himself with.
On Friday morning, a news conference is planned to announce federal legislation. Blumenthal's office says the announcement comes the day before what would have been Ethan's 16th birthday.
After investigating Ethan’s death, Guilford police arrested a juvenile, who was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Police added the juvenile also faces a reckless endangerment charge for an event before Song’s death.
After the state “Ethan’s Law” proposal was announced, Scott Wilson, president of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, a guns rights group, issued a statement, offering sympathies to the Song family and urging that in addition to securing firearms all parents should make an effort to understand that “firearms can be deadly if handled improperly.”
“There are tremendous programs out there that teach firearm safety to children of all ages; often at little or no cost. Along with the securing of firearms in a responsible manner, proper firearms education is imperative to the safety of children. Even if parents don’t own firearms themselves, children should still be taught what to do if they encounter a firearm without parental supervision,” Wilson said in a statement previously posted on the CCDL website.
“We thank Ethan’s father for acknowledging that there may be times that gun owners may also need to gain access to their firearms immediately to stop home invasions or protect loved ones,” Wilson’s statement went on to say.
Wilson, who said he had been shot decades ago, said his organization partners with an organization to help get gunlocks distributed and he planned to meet with Representative Scanlon.
The Song family has also started a foundation to honor Ethan.
