Chesapeake police said a Walmart gunman legally purchased a firearm the morning of the shooting, which Deli Cliff Hayes said could be prevented with the bill.
Chesapeake, Virginia — It’s been two months since a Walmart employee opened fire inside a Chesapeake store, killing six co-workers.
Some Virginia legislators are now proposing legislation to curb gun violence in the state. One of them is Rep. Cliff Hayes, who represents the area where the shooting took place.
Hayes represents Virginia’s 77th District, which includes parts of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
HB2273 suggests a three-day waiting period to purchase firearms.
Hayes said he submitted the bill after speaking with the victim’s family.
The point of view – cooling-off periods help prevent such crimes.
“This is a way to help these families so that this scenario is less likely to run into other innocent people,” Hayes said.
The Walmart gunman legally purchased a firearm the morning of the shooting, according to the Chesapeake Police Department.
The bill would add an additional three days for prospective gun buyers to approve a background check before purchasing a gun.
“Go out and buy a handgun and do it in the day…that horrible catastrophe…we believe that should be changed,” Hayes said. Told.
Lawmakers referenced a study published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that found that waiting period laws could reduce gun homicides by about 17 percent.
Hayes said the bill would not only provide a cooling-off period, but would also give officials ample time to complete background checks.
Virginia is not the first state to introduce such a law. Nine of her other states, as well as Washington, D.C., have laws regarding waiting periods to purchase firearms.
Now, delegates say the bill is still waiting to be referred to the committee.
“This is what families want – for us [lawmakers] We need to act responsibly and have a waiting period,” Hayes said.
