LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A non-partisan cause brought Kentucky politicians together on Monday morning in Lexington at a time when Kentuckians are thinking about what’s always been an extremely partisan issue.
“I was on the way home, got in the car, and heard about it. Clearly, it’s a tragedy, and our hearts go out to everyone,” said State Representative David Osborne of Kentucky’s 59th district.
The House Speaker was in Lexington for the beginning of this week’s summit for Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. The Governor, Andy Beshear, was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his work on this campaign, and it’s one that’s close to Mr. Osborne’s heart, too.
“Policy making can be scary; it can be scary for those making it for our children because we don’t want to get it wrong. We know that our core charge (as public servants), is to protect those who can’t protect themselves,” Mr. Osborne said.
The conversation quickly shifted to protecting citizens from gun violence in the wake of what took place along Interstate 75 in Laurel County on Saturday, when a shooter fired an AR-15 style rifle at passing motorists, striking as many as 12 vehicles while injuring 5 people. The suspected shooter, Joseph Couch, is still on the loose. Couch is a veteran of the National Guard.
“We have to do more to address the root cause of these issues, which is mental illness. We've done a lot, we're doing a lot, but clearly, we're not doing enough,” Rep. Osborne stated before alluding to doing more for veterans who might be struggling with mental health.
While so many experts believe that mental illness is certainly a topic that needs to be addressed as it relates to gun violence and gun sales, there’s another elephant in the room: the shooter allegedly purchased the weapon and more than one thousand rounds of ammunition hours before carrying out the shooting.
“When I bought my first gun as a 21 or 22-year-old, I had a five-day waiting period, or maybe it was three days because that's how long it took for the background check,” Mr. Osborne recalled.
Osborne said he wasn’t sure of the circumstances surrounding this apparent purchase. If the weapon was bought by Couch, he’s currently out on a $1,000 bond on charges of 3rd degree terroristic threatening.
“It’s always a conversation,” Mr. Osborne said of enforcing a mandatory waiting period. “We’re always looking for ways to close loopholes and things like that,” he added.
Osborne said that based on current state laws if Couch purchased the weapon, he should not have been able to do so. He also had a message for those law enforcement officers who are canvassing the state looking for this man because even though a weapon was recovered, he could still be armed and dangerous.
“When you have someone, they are pursuing, who's shown a willingness to take life, our prayers are with all of them,” Mr. Osborne said.
