‘This is not a Democrat or Republican issue’: Lawmakers push for Glock switch ban after Tuskegee shooting

The Alabama House Democratic Caucus is calling for a statewide ban on Glock switches to follow suit the mass shooting that occurred at Tuskegee University earlier this week.

“As Alabama legislators, we must revise our laws governing gun ownership and safety,” said Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee at a news conference Friday.

“We have citizens walking around displaying all kinds of guns and weapons. Random public shootings have increased across the state. We’ve seen innocent victims get shot during these random shootings.”

The Glock is found in 25-year-old Jacquez Myricks possession during his arrest was loaded with a 30-round magazine containing nine rounds of ammunition, as well as a round loaded in the gun’s chamber, ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) Special Agent Andrew Erdmann told AL. com previously.

Erdmann said the gun was equipped with a black “invisi-switch” type machine gun conversion device and operated as a machine gun.

Myrick initially denied firing his weapon, but later told federal investigators that he fired his gun but did not shoot anyone, according to federal court records.

“A stray bullet doesn’t have a name on it,” Warren said.

“Sadly, the young man arrested in Tuskegee must also be charged federally, as Alabama law does not address illegal gun modifications.”

“That’s why we need to seriously consider Rep. Ensler’s bill to ban illegal gun modifications, such as the glock switch, at the state level. So we can speed up justice and get these illegal devices off the street.”

Rope. Phillip Ensler, D-Montgomery, is again sponsoring legislation that would make anyone caught with a Glock switch on a handgun a Class C felony, punishable by up to 10 years in state prison.

It’s almost the same bill as before gone out of House in April but was not taken up in the Senate in the waning days of the session.

Ensler, who filed the legislation in late August, called HB26 a bipartisan measure that has previously had strong support from law enforcement agencies: the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Alabama Sheriffs Association and the Alabama District Attorneys Association.

Rope. Kenyatte Hassell, D-Montgomery, and Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, is also sponsoring bills aimed at reducing gun violence.

Hassell’s HB23 would require a person to have a permit to carry an assault weapon on their person or in their vehicle and Givan’s HB62 would ban bump stocks in Birmingham.

“This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it’s a human issue,” Ensler said Friday.

Warren, who identified herself as a strong supporter of the right to bear arms, agreed.

“This is not a partisan or political issue,” she said.

“This is not about taking away the rights of gun owners. This is about ridding our streets of illegal gun modifications that can turn ordinary guns into machine guns, which only results in more senseless death and the shooting of innocent bystanders.”

La’Tavion Johnson, 18, of Troy, was killed in Sunday’s shooting while trying to save someone else, according to his family. 16 others were injured.