Spanberger considering bills requiring gun owners to lock up most guns if kids are in the house

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Some Virginia gun owners may soon have to lock up their firearms if they know a minor, or someone who is not allowed to possess a gun is present in the home. 

Companion bills being considered by Governor Abigail Spanberger would require in most cases, anyone who possesses a gun, if they know a minor or prohibited person is present, to store their guns in a locked container, compartment, or cabinet, that is inaccessible to those people. 

“It aims to get these firearms stored securely so that it prevents these tragedies going forward,” Democratic Delegate Mark Downey (D-York), who wrote the House version of the legislation, told 8News. 

Plus, if gun owners want to store their guns loaded, they would need to be in a storage device with a combination, coded, or biometric lock that minors or prohibited people can’t access.

Downey said the legislation is to prevent tragedies, like what happened in Petersburg in March when an 11-year-old shot and killed his six-year-old sister. The siblings’ mother was charged with several crimes, including leaving a loaded gun unsecured in a manner that endangered a child under 14.

“What happened in Petersburg is something we hear about fairly often and it’s happening more and more as we're seeing gun violence being, kind of, the number one killer of children in this country,” said Downey. 

However, NRA Director of Public Affairs Justin Davis says, while the NRA supports the safe storage of firearms, they don’t support the government mandating how people should store their firearms. 

“Now of course, the individual who’s breaking into your home has a tactical advantage of already having their firearm and they of course do not care about gun control laws. So we believe that law-abiding gun owners are able to figure out how to store their firearm that best work for their families,” Davis told 8News. 

If signed, the bills would also require firearms dealers to post a notice about the new law warning buyers that if they don’t follow it, they could be charged with a Class 4 misdemeanor.