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Backgrounder

CALIFORNIA GUN LAWS AND FIREARMS VIOLENCE STATISTICS FOR CALIFORNIA

This fact sheet provides background information for journalists covering today�s shooting at Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, California.�

California Firearm Laws [1]

  • Purchasers of concealable weapons must fill out and submit a California Dealer Record of Sale (DROS) form and undergo safety training.

  • Secondary sales between private individuals�including those at gun shows�must go through a licensed firearms dealer.

  • Ten-day waiting period required for purchase of any firearm to allow time for a background check

  • Handgun possession by minors is prohibited with numerous exceptions, e.g. being accompanied by a parent or guardian

  • California has a Child Access Prevention (CAP) law which makes it a felony to leave a firearm accessible to anyone under the age 16.

  • In 1989 California banned a wide range of assault weapons by name. The California legislature recently tightened up the ban addressing threats posed by �sporterized� assault weapons which circumvented the ban.� The state also passed one-handgun-a-month legislation and a mandatory trigger lock bill.

1998 Firearms Violence Statistics for California

    YOUTH

  • 71.5% of homicides of youth aged 18 years or younger were committed with a firearm.
  • 62.7% of homicides of youth aged 18 years or younger were committed with a handgun.
  • In 16.8% of firearm homicides, the victim was aged
    • 18 years or younger.
  • In 16.5% of handgun homicides, the victim was aged
    • 18 years or younger.

    ALL AGES

  • 69.5% of all homicides were committed with a firearm.
  • 89.7% of firearm homicides were committed with a handgun.
  • 62.3% of all homicides were committed with a handgun.

Mortality
Rate per
100,000
Number of
People Killed
State Rank
by Rate
1998 Firearm Homicide
4.95
1,618
   10th
1998 Handgun Homicide
4.44
1,451
    6th
1998 Firearm Suicide
5.21
1,702
   36th
1998 Firearm Unintentional
0.16
    52
   40th

***

The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working to reduce gun death and injury in America.� For more information, please visit the VPC�s website at www.vpc.org.� �����������������������

�End�

��������[1] Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, State Laws and Published Ordinances, 2000.


The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational foundation that conducts research on violence in America and works to develop violence-reduction policies and proposals. The Center examines the role of firearms in America, conducts research on firearms violence, and explores new ways to decrease firearm-related death and injury.


   For Release:
   Thursday, March 22, 2001

   Contact:
   Naomi Seligman
   Violence Policy Center
   (202) 822-8200 x105