Life

Colorado governor signs four gun control bills into law after horrific Club Q shooting

By Jordan Robledo

1st May 2023

Twitter: @GovofCO
Twitter: @GovofCO

Colorado governor Jared Polis has signed four new gun control bills into law, five months after the Club Q nightclub shooting. 

Content warning: This story may include topics that could make some readers feel uncomfortable.

Back in November, the Colorado Springs community was hit with a devastating loss after a shooter entered Club Q and opened fire on its patrons.

The terrifying attack, which occurred minutes before Transgender Day of Remembrance, resulted in five innocent people killed and 19 individuals wounded.

In response to the Club Q attack and the growing number of mass shootings in the US, Colorado’s governor Polis signed not one but four gun control bills into law.

“Today we are taking important steps to help make Colorado one of the ten safest states, and building upon the ongoing work to make Colorado communities safer,” he said on 28 April. 

Under the new set of bills, the age requirement to buy a gun has been raised from 18 to 21.

Individuals who have bought a firearm will be subjected to a three-day waiting period, which will take place after the purchase date and a completed background check. 

The new measures also expand Colorado’s established red flag laws, which allow “family, household members or a law enforcement officer to petition the court” to temporarily confiscate a person’s firearm who is deemed an “extreme risk” to themselves or others. 

Under the extension, district attorneys, teachers, doctors, and mental health professionals have been given the ability to file requests. 

Lastly, the fourth measure makes it easier for victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers. 

“Coloradoans deserve to be safe in our communities, in our schools, in our grocery stores, in our nightclubs,” Polis added while signing the four bills.

Shortly after Polis signed the aforementioned bills into law, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took to Twitter to praise the Democrat official for taking an “important step forward”.

“Today, Colorado has enacted four common-sense gun reforms, including elimination of some of the barriers to holding gun manufacturers and dealers accountable,” she wrote.

“Thank you, Colorado leaders and gun violence survivors, for this important step forward.”

Colorado now joins an array of states – including Hawaii, Michigan, Washington, and California – that have signed similar gun control measures.