by Rachel Schilke
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signaled a crackdown on gun violence Monday, seeking to place restrictions on open carry and gun purchases.
Lamont announced the first in what he calls "a series" of proposals looking to end gun violence during a press conference on Monday. He plans to introduce them at the start of the state's legislative session, per a release.
The governor has proposed investing $2.5 million into community violence intervention programs, along with banning the open carrying of firearms in public, limiting handgun purchases to one per month, and updating the state's ban on "ghost guns."
Lamont seeks to discourage straw purchases and the illegal flow of ghost guns, the release said, while also continuing to allow gun owners to exercise concealed carry with a permit, with the exception of some locations.
“Many guns involved in crimes occurring in our communities are purchased illegally on the underground market, and deterring this kind of straw purchasing will have a major impact on lowering crime,” Lamont said in a statement. “I think a lot of people are surprised when they learn that you can buy an unlimited number of handguns within a very short period of time.”
The proposals come one day after a mass shooting occurred at a Lunar New Year celebration in a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday evening. Ten people were killed, and another 10 were injured.
The shooter, who was at large for several hours, was found dead by authorities in a van from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, per police. A handgun was found among the items in the van. A motive for the shooting is currently unknown.
While Connecticut remains one of the safest states in the country, Lamont said, "even one shooting is one too many."
“It’s our responsibility to implement policies that keep our homes and our neighborhoods safe, and we have to take every opportunity to keep our residents protected," the governor said. "These commonsense reforms will protect our neighborhoods and the people who live in them.”
Currently, Connecticut state laws do not include any limits on the number of firearms that can be purchased within a specific time period, per the governor's release. Lamont said the limit on the purchasing of handguns to one per month will not affect the purchase of rifles used for hunting or any other long guns.