FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lawmakers may consider instituting a waiting period for gun purchases in Kentucky. The sponsor of a new bill filed this week said he hopes it could help prevent homicides and suicides.
Representative Daniel Grossberg, a Democrat from Louisville, filed the bill Monday. It would require a five-day waiting period for any sale of a gun in Kentucky that requires a background check.
In his announcement, Grossberg said it could help prevent incidents like the shooting that narrowly missed Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. He also cited studies that showed a five-day waiting period could reduce homicides by 17% and suicides by 11% by creating a buffer between a possible crisis, and someone's possession of a gun.
"When I look at that, I think that should be a no-brainer. It's five days. When we think about immediate gratification, how much immediate gratification does someone need?" said Teri Carter of the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Carter also referenced the note left behind by the Louisville mass shooter at Old National Bank, who wrote that it was remarkably easy to buy the gun he used in the shooting. In that case, the purchase was made six days prior to the shooting.
"It just should not be that easy for someone who is mentally unstable to purchase a gun and leave the store with it in, let's say, 20 minutes, 30 minutes," Carter said.
Jay Evans, owner of Evans Firearms and Archery in Lexington, said he opposed the bill, arguing it was more important for someone who felt like they were in imminent danger to be able to buy a gun for self-defense quickly.
"To me, that scenario is much more important. If you feel like you need a firearm, you should be able to obtain it quickly, if you're a law-abiding citizen," he said.
