Public Hearing on ‘Ethan’s (Song) Law’ Slated For March 11th

GUILFORD, CT - A public hearing will be held at the state Capitol next Monday on a bill that pushes for tougher safe gun storage legislation.

Mike Song, who lost his son Ethan last year, had this to say about the importance of the hearing on social media:

Time for Change! Please join Kristin and me at a major public hearing to rally support for Ethan's Law (Safe Gun Storage). Let's speak out to keep kids safe. Bipartisan support is building!!!

As Martin Luther King said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

LOGISTICS: Arrive at 9AM for a 9:30 Press Conference (Room 1A) and Hearing at 10AM - Room 2C. There is a PARKING GARAGE at 300 Capital Ave. If full, there is more parking in the basement of that garage. The Legislative Building is right there. FB Message me with questions. Thank you all! #songstrong #neverforget, #safestoragesaveslives

“Ethan’s Law” would require gun owners to lock up all firearms in homes with children age 18 or under — regardless of whether the weapons are loaded. If a tragedy similar to Ethan’s death occurred, the owner of the gun would be charged with a felony, Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, said.

In Ethan’s case, the homeowner left the gun unloaded in a cardboard box in a closet with the bullets nearby, according to an investigation by Waterbury State’s Attorney Maureen Platt.

Ethan and the owner’s son were handling the gun when the 15-year-old was shot and killed.

Platt concluded that the owner couldn’t be charged with a crime since under state law it is legal to leave an unloaded handgun unlocked. It is currently a felony to leave a loaded gun unlocked in a home with a child under the age of 16, lawmakers said.

The bill, which is new this year, “would have saved Ethan’s life as well as other lives across the country,” said Jeremy Stein, executive director of CT Against Gun Violence.

“Safe storage is one of the prime responsibilities of any gun owner,” Stein said.