REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Direct the Office of the City Attorney to Research and Return to City Council with an Ordinance Restricting the Purchase of Semi-Automatic Centerfire Rifles by Persons under 21, with Exemptions for Active-Duty Military and Law Enforcement Personnel
Report
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan Goal SN-3: Ensure a safe and secure environment for people and property in the community by providing effective public safety response and prevention and education services.
General Plan Police SN-3.2: Control conduct recognized as threatening to life and property.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not require review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that it may have an impact on the environment. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3))
DISCUSSION
Semi-automatic centerfire rifles, such as the AR-15, are a popular type of sporting rifle that can be legally used for hunting and target shooting. Unlike military rifles, semi-automatic rifles do not have a fully automatic or "burst" mode. That is, the rifle can only fire one round per trigger pull. Nevertheless, AR-15 style rifles can be fired rapidly and have large magazines that are easy to swap out, potentially releasing over a hundred rounds within a few minutes. These types of rifles have been used in a number of recent mass-shooting incidents including Parkland, Florida; Las Vegas; San Bernardino; Newtown, Connecticut; and Aurora, Colorado. The incident at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people, was perpetrated by a 19-year-old former student who had legally purchased the AR-15 style rifle used in the attack.
The recent shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School has called attention to the differing legal treatment of handguns and long guns (rifles and shotguns). Both state and federal law prohibit sale or transfer of firearms to minors under age 18, with cert...
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