Community Corner

Victim's Family Calls For Sweeping Security, Gun Laws

The mother of 6-year-old Noah Pozner and her family are calling for a series of laws aimed at preventing future tragedies like the Sandy Hook shooting, according to a report from the Hartford Courant.

 

Last week, the mother of 6-year-old Noah Pozner, who lost his life in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, said she had been in contact with the White House and wanted a chance to make her voice heard on gun control to President Barack Obama.

Now Noah's family -- including his mother Veronique, her brother Alexis Haller, and other maternal relatives -- are calling on the President to support a set of specific new laws on gun control and school security, according to the Hartford Courant.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We recognize that no single law or reform will prevent targeted school shootings," said the letter provided to the Courant. "However, by enacting a wide range of reforms, federal, state and local governments can make our children much safer in schools."

Safety was a major factor in the Pozner family's move from New York to Connecticut, according to Patch archives. Noah's two sisters also attended the school, but were not injured or among the 20 children who lost their lives.

Find out what's happening in Newtownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The family suggested reforms including nationwide school lockdown drills, federal grants to help schools update security, and increased mental health care after traumatic events like the Sandy Hook shooting, according to the Courant.

According to another law proposed by the family, the "Sandy Hook Reporting Law," anyone who was aware of a threat posed by someone with a firearm would be require to notify police.

The family's proposal also covered a string of gun control legislation, including a misdemeanor law designed to prohibit gun owners from allowing the weapons into the hands of people with mental illness.

"With gun ownership comes responsibility," the family said in the letter provided to the Courant. "The owner of a firearm has the obligation ... to ensure that the firearm is not accessible by an individual who poses a danger to others."

Vice President Joe Biden, responsible for the White House's Sandy Hook response, is still preparing recommendations for updated policy. Biden's proposals are expected to address gun availability and universal background checks, according to a report by the Huffington Post.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here