Contact: Colleen Roche/Jennifer Chait (212) 788-2958
Joining the Mayor for today's announcement were Cathy and Pedro Murphy, parents of 11 year-old Christopher Murphy who was accidentally shot and killed last year, and in whose honor the law was named. The Murphys are both New York City Police Officers.
"Every year many lives are lost as a result of gun-related violence and accidental shootings," the Mayor said. "Negligence in the use and storage of weapons is unacceptable, and precautions must be taken to prevent more tragedies. One such precautionary measure, Christopher's Law, makes it unlawful to sell a pistol or revolver which does not contain a safety-locking device -- a simple and effective design adaptation or attachable accessory that would prevent accidental discharges.
The Mayor added, "As I said when I signed this bill into law earlier this year, even though Christopher's Law is an important step in the right direction, it does not go far enough. It does not mandate that the owner of the gun actually use the safety device once it is purchased, nor does it cover guns sold prior to the enactment date of the law -- thus, exempting more than 250,000 licensed guns currently in existence in New York City.
"I urge the City Council to enact the new bill that I submitted in May, when I signed Christopher's Law. Every day that this proposal is not enacted it puts at risk the lives of innocent children," the Mayor concluded.
Cathy and Pedro Murphy said, "We thank the Mayor and the City Council and everyone who helped pass Christopher's Law. And we support the Mayor's proposal to expand it. We will never know how many lives will be saved as a result of this legislation."
The Mayor's proposed legislation (Intro. 320), which has languished for six months in the Council's Public Safety Committee, without even a public hearing, would:
A violation of Christopher's Law is a criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail.