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CO Ceasefire News: Supreme Court Action, Research Supports Gun-Free Zones

Supreme Court Declines MD Case on
Suicide Literature, Hears ‘Ghost Gun’ Case

The U.S. Supreme Court Oct. 6 declined to hear a challenge by gun dealers to a Maryland county’s rule that sellers of firearms or ammunition must display and distribute literature aimed at reducing gun suicide. The law, in Anne Arundel County, “requires commercial actors to warn about the risks posed by a potentially dangerous product they sell, [and] is no different than other disclosures ubiquitous in American life,” the County said.

Gun sellers challenging the law, however, said being forced to distribute the pamphlet was a violation of their First Amendment rights and that they disagree that access to firearms is a risk factor for suicide [Ed note- This increased risk factor has been shown in research many times]. They also object to what they say is an implicit suggestion that people shouldn’t buy guns because they cause suicides.

The pamphlet mandated by the County is co-authored and promoted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms industry, so the material would not be misperceived as anti-gun.

The High Court also heard on Oct. 8 a challenge brought by gun rights groups seeking to invalidate Biden administration rules restricting the sale of so-called ‘ghost guns’ and their components. Those rules, completed in late 2022, require vendors who sell partly finished frames of Glock-style handguns — the pistol grip and firing mechanism — to treat them like fully completed firearms subject to federal regulations.

The number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes has fallen since the enactment of those rules, which mandate the use of serial numbers and require buyers to undergo background checks, according to statistics compiled by law enforcement agencies around the country. Local officials and gun-control groups fear that overturning the restrictions could reverse the recent improvements.


Denver FFLs Plead Guilty in Fed Cases

The owners of Modern Arms & Optics LLC, a gun seller that operated from 2019 to 2023, have pleaded guilty. On July 25, Campbell Slayden of Denver pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. On Sept. 23, Anthony Gallegos of Denver pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Both were accused of “falsifying records concealing their unlawful firearms manufacturing practices… Furthermore, the co-owners transferred firearms to people not legally allowed to own firearms through a practice often referred to as “straw purchasing,” the U.S. Department of Justice said.


First-of-its-kind study shows gun-free zones
reduce likelihood of mass shootings

A new study challenges the gun lobby talking point that gun-free zones attract active shooters. In the first quantitative study of its kind, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, researchers found that gun-free zones may actually reduce the likelihood of mass shootings. According to their findings, gun-free zones do not make establishments more vulnerable to shootings. Instead, they appear to have a preventative effect.

The study’s most striking finding was that gun-free zones were less likely to experience an active shooting than gun-allowing zones. Of the 150 shootings examined, 48% took place in gun-free zones, while 61.3% of the control locations (where shootings did not occur) were gun-free. This indicates that gun-free zones are not disproportionately targeted by shooters.

In fact, establishments that prohibited firearms were found to be 62.5% less likely to have an active shooting incident compared to places where guns were allowed.


Former CO Ceasefire Intern Scores Big-Time Gig with Brady

Huge congratulations to former CO Ceasefire Intern Luna Saldana Lopez, who has parlayed her work with us into a seat on Brady’s Teen Executive Council. As part of her work with Ceasefire last Spring, Luna testified in support of SB24-158, a bill to require social media companies to have, publish and report their policies on certain actions related to protecting their users. Although the bill failed, Luna says she learned a great deal from the process of testifying.

“It was really good for me to learn more about how to communicate and be more effective in advocating for [gun violence prevention],” she says. “Ceasefire helped me to take my work to the national level and start doing things in other states.”

Luna says her work with Brady is just getting underway, but she’ll be sure to keep us posted on what she’s up to.
Colorado Ceasefire accepts applications for internships during the school year. Interested? Contact Laney Sheffel. And we can always use help to expand our Outreach efforts, which enable us to find tomorrow’s GVP leaders! Donate here.


Another study, in Psychology of Violence, has uncovered a key link between psychopathic traits and firearm violence. The research found that individuals with certain psychopathic tendencies, especially those related to emotional coldness and antisocial behavior, are more likely to engage in illegal gun use and violent confrontations. 

The study also revealed that psychopathy has no connection to legal gun carrying, highlighting a distinction between lawful and unlawful firearm behaviors. The study found no connection between psychopathy and carrying a concealed gun with a legal permit, suggesting that individuals who follow legal procedures for carrying firearms may not be driven by the same psychological factors as those who carry guns illegally.


TX AG Paxton Vows to Fight on After Guns-at-State-Fair Loss

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to continue fighting after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that it would not block a firearms ban at the State Fair of Texas. A Dallas County judge declined to issue an injunction preventing the ban’s enforcement, and neither the Fifteenth Court of Appeals nor the state Supreme Court intervened.

Justice Jimmy Blalock wrote in the opinion declining to block the Fair’s gun rule that the state’s motion for the injunction failed to even take a position on whether a private entity, like the State Fair of Texas, can prohibit patrons from carrying guns.

A full trial on the merits of the state’s case is scheduled for June in Dallas County district court.


Register to Vote!

It’s time to make sure you are properly registered and ready to vote next month.. All Colorado voters who register at least eight days before Election Day will receive a mail ballot. You can also register to vote in person through Election Day if you prefer–but why not do it beforehand?

If you are receiving this newsletter, you probably already know what a critical time this is for gun violence prevention legislation at the federal, state and local levels. As we have seen from recent Supreme Court decisions, your vote for candidates who support common-sense gun laws—and spreading the word among people you know—is more important now than ever. Register to vote here.


Like This Newsletter? Want to Pass it On?

We hope you find this newsletter valuable. News like the above story of Luna Saldana Lopez, our former intern, shows that Colorado Ceasefire is making a difference in our state, fighting the gun lobby and helping create leaders like Luna to carry that fight into the future. If you are interested in the news you see here and want to get involved, please consider volunteering!

And if you want Colorado Ceasefire to continue acting as a voice and resource for Gun Violence Prevention in our state, we hope you’ll consider supporting us.And feel free to subscribe and pass this news along to anyone else you think may be interested, either as a link or by cutting and pasting into your own newsletter (if forwarding, please take out the ‘unsubscribe’ message at the bottom first!)–this is how the movement grows. And remember, when we fight, we win!


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