MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama House Democratic Caucus has launched a renewed effort to urge their fellow state lawmakers to support several gun safety bills in the wake of the deadly shooting last week at Tuskegee University.
“This incident is bigger than Tuskegee University,” said Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee, speaking at a press conference Friday at the Alabama State House.
“As Alabama legislators, we must revise our law regulating gun ownership and safety. We have citizens walking around displaying all types of guns and weapons, random public shootings have increased all over the state, we have witnessed innocent victims being shot during these random shootings.”
On Nov. 10, a suspect identified by police as 25-year-old Jaquez Myrick of Montgomery allegedly opened fire on a crowd of school students and faculty, killing one and injuring at least 16.
Myrick was arrested shortly thereafter in possession of a handgun modified with a trigger activator, a firearm modification that enables a semi-automatic weapon to fire at rates similar to that of a fully automatic weapon.
Warren called on her legislative colleagues to support Democrats’ gun reform efforts, particularly a bill filed by Rep. Phil Ensler, D-Montgomery, that would outlaw on a state level the possession of handguns modified with trigger activators.
“Sadly, the young man arrested in Tuskegee had to also be charged federally because Alabama law doesn’t address illegal gun modifications,” she said.
“…That’s only illegal from a federal standpoint. That’s why we must give serious consideration to Rep. Ensler’s bill to ban illegal gun modifications such as the Glock switch at the state level so that we can expedite justice and get these illegal devices off the street.”
Ensler introduced a similar bill last year in the wake of the deadly mass shooting in Dadeville that left four dead and 32 injured, but it stalled amid concerns from some lawmakers regarding the Second Amendment. He introduced another version of the bill for the most recent legislative session in 2024, but it too failed to become law after getting caught in the crossfire of debates over gambling legislation.
Over time, support for Ensler’s bill has grown, and has been backed by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Fraternal Order of Police, the District Attorneys Association and the Sheriffs Association, as well as by some Alabama Republicans.
“We know that laws are not going to stop every act of gun violence, but we know that we were elected to take action, so we are advocating for laws that can make a difference and can save some lives,” Ensler said.
“The Glock switches are incredibly dangerous; once someone pulls the trigger on a gun that has one of those, the bullets can spray in every which direction. Even in the affidavit, Myrick said that he didn’t aim at anyone, but we know that the bullet sprayed in multiple directions.”
Alabama’s gun violence rates remain among the highest in the nation, with gun deaths having increased by 54% between 2012 and 2021. During that same time period, gun deaths nationally increased by 39%. As of last year, gun violence is also the leading cause of death for Alabama children and teens.
“This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, this is a human issue, so let’s continue to find common ground, let’s continue to work together,” Ensler continued. “This is a public safety matter, and everybody can and should rally behind that.”
Warren, when asked if there was hope for more bi-partisan support this year for Ensler’s bill, said she had received new assurance from Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, R-Rainsville, on Thursday that at the very least, the bill would make it through the House chamber.
“I talked with the Speaker yesterday and he has assured me that it will get out of the House again this year, and they are working on a sponsor in the Senate that can get it out of the Senate because I think they all realize that this is something that we’re going to have to change in the state of Alabama,” she said.