This week, we experienced another school shooting. Sadly, it followed a familiar playbook. One that was set 25 years ago at Columbine High School.
One thing that stands out to me is how much potential the recent killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO has to create a parallel phenomenon. Many of the same factors that have kept Columbine relevant to school shooters could keep the CEO killing at top of mind for a different kind of attacker moving forward. I lay out the troubling similarities in a piece for Reload Members.
We also saw a federal appeals court decide another felon-in-possession case. This one was particularly interesting because it dealt with a man convicted of non-violent felonies but with a background that included violent incidents.
Trump’s pollster also released a new survey this week looking at voters’ views on how judicial nominees and elected officials should prioritize gun rights. Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman also examines a Supreme Court trend that should concern gun-rights advocates. Plus, Gun Maker Match founder Rob Pincus joins the podcast to discuss the CEO killer’s 3D-printed gun, and we have a bunch of other gun stories down in the links.
Analysis: Will the UnitedHealthcare CEO Assassination Inspire Copycats Like Columbine Did? [Member Exclusive]
By Stephen Gutowski
This week’s shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin extends the 25-year shadow the Columbine High School shooting has cast over America.
On Monday, a 15-year-old student shot and killed two people and wounded four more before ending her own life. Like dozens of shooters before her, the Abundant Life perpetrator appears to have been inspired in part by the Columbine shooters who carried out their attack a decade before she was even born. Early reports indicate the shooter posted about the 1999 attack on social media and was even pictured wearing a shirt of the same obscure rock band one of the shooters did back then.
It’s worth asking whether last week’s assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson might end up having a similar effect.
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Federal Appeals Court Upholds Non-Violent Felon Gun Ban
By Jake Fogleman
The government can permanently disarm somebody convicted of non-violent felonies if their broader criminal history contains violent conduct, a federal appeals court has ruled.
On Monday, a three-judge panel for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected a Kentucky defendant’s as-applied challenge to his recent conviction for possessing a firearm as a felon. The panel ruled that even if a person is convicted of non-violent felonies, the totality of their criminal record can indicate “dangerousness” that permits disarmament under the Second Amendment.
“Morton’s criminal record demonstrates dangerousness, specifically that he has committed ‘violent’ crimes ‘against the person,’” Judge Rachel Bloomekatz wrote in US v. Morton. “So, his conviction is consistent with the Second Amendment as interpreted in Williams. Accordingly, § 922(g)(1) is constitutional as applied to him.”
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Trump Pollster: Americans Want Leaders, Judges Who Strictly Follow Second Amendment
By Stephen Gutowski
The company that ran President-elect Donald Trump’s polling operation has released a new poll showing widespread support for judges and politicians to prioritize gun rights.
The poll, conducted by McLaughlin and Associates and sponsored by the Second Amendment Foundation, was released on Tuesday. It found 77 percent of voters agree it’s “important” that federal judge appointments make it “a priority to try their best to strictly follow the 2nd Amendment.” Another 76 percent said it’s “important” for national political leaders to “protect and defend the 2nd Amendment Rights.” Fewer than 20 percent of respondents said neither was important to them.
“Americans continue to cherish their Second Amendment Rights as the results of our recent national survey clearly show,” Jim McLaughlin, CEO of the polling firm, said in a statement.
Podcast: The Fallout of the CEO Killer’s 3D-Printed Gun (Ft. Maker’s Match Founder Rob Pincus)
By Stephen Gutowski
This week, we’re discussing one of the highest-profile assassinations we’ve seen in a long time. One where the killer used a 3D-printed firearm, and video of the attack has been viewed countless times across the country.
To figure out what effect all of that might have on the homebuilt gun community, we’ve got Rob Pincus back on the show. He’s a part-owner of a licensed firearms company but also the organizer of the Gun Maker’s Match.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel.
Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about the NRA’s New York corruption case finally coming to an end after six years. We also discuss the Supreme Court’s latest rejection of a Second Amendment case, the high-profile “Spirit of Aloha” Hawaii gun carry decision. We wrap up by covering the latest reports suggesting the United Healthcare CEO shooter used a 3-D printed gun and what that might mean for homemade gun enthusiasts.
Analysis: SCOTUS ‘Spirit of Aloha’ Denial Part of Worrying Trend for Gun Activists [Member Exclusive]
By Jake Fogleman
The Supreme Court rejected yet another high-profile Second Amendment case, raising questions about its appetite for expanding gun rights.
On Monday, the justices denied cert in Wilson v. Hawaii, a case on appeal from the Hawaii Supreme Court concerning criminal gun charges against a man who carried a firearm without a permit in 2017. The charges came during an era when the state refused to grant gun permits to its citizens under a licensing regime later found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Bruen. The Hawaii court both intentionally and flagrantly rebuked the High Court in deciding to reinstate those charges based in part on the “Spirit of Aloha.”
Despite that, the Court allowed the decision to stand. The reasoning behind the denial is increasingly familiar.
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Outside The Reload
A.T.F. Braces for a Likely Rollback of Its Gun-Control Efforts | New York Times | By Glenn Thrush
Two US states sue Glock over machine gun conversion | Reuters | By Tom Hals
Political Violence Happens Because We Let It | The Free Press | By Charles Fain Lehman
That’s it for this week in guns.
I’ll see you all next week.
Thanks,
Stephen Gutowski
Founder
The Reload
