Could Stricter Gun Laws Protect Tiverton From Future Shootings?

Days after a drive-by shooting at a Tiverton pub left a man in the hospital with a gunshot wound, Rhode Island lawmakers unveiled a package of gun control bills. Fall River and Tiverton Police confirmed that alleged shooter Scott Campbell did not have a permit to carry or possess a gun.

The proposed laws would increase penalties and close loopholes on gun crimes, add mental-health background checks and ban semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Campbell, a Fall River resident, allegedly pulled up in front of Benjamin's Sports Pub on Stafford Road, brandished a gun and fired two shots into the bar's facade. One of those .380 caliber bullets shot through the buildings glass front door and struck a patron in the back the shoulder. Although the victim is expected to make a full recovery, he was transported to Rhode Island Hospital by Tiverton Rescue that night.

Campbell fled the scene and crossed back over the Massachusetts state line where Fall River Police caught up with him within minutes of the shooting at his Warrent Street home.

Police found spent shell casings in Campbell's orange Dodge Neon and found .380 caliber pistol inside his kitchen cabinet. Campbell did not have a license to carry or possess the gun in either state, according to police.

Tiverton Police charged Campbell with four felony charges: felony assault, firing a firearm from a vehicle, use of a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a firearm without a permit. He faces similar charges in Massachusetts.

What's your take? What laws do you think could be enacted to prevent similar incidents and improve public safety? Do you think Tiverton's proximity the Massachusetts state line will make gun control laws more difficult to enforce?

The incident was reported by the Tiverton Police and Fall River Police departments.  An arrest does not indicate a conviction.

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