Washington AG Pushes ‘High Capacity’ Mag Ban, Permits to Possess ‘Assault Weapons’

Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) is pushing a ban on “high capacity” magazines and a permit requirement for “assault weapon” possession.

SeattlePI reports that Ferguson is also seeking a 10-day waiting period for permitted “assault weapon” purchasers and enhanced background checks to acquire the rifles.

Gun control proponents seek to justify their gun control campaigns by pointing to high-profile crimes in which AR-15s or AK-47s were used. Yet ironically, a close examination of one of the most heinous attacks–that one on Orlando Pulse–reveals that the gunman complied with the very gun controls being pushed in Washington state.

Omar Mateen went through an enhanced background check, inasmuch as he was vetted and acquired a Florida state license to carry a gun as a “security officer.” Moreover, he passed a regular background check when acquiring his rifle and a 3-day waiting period for his handgun. He then opened fire on unarmed civilians in the nightclub.

Why should law-abiding citizens be punished for the crimes committed by Mateen?

And why should we be expected to overlook the danger those civilians faced by being trapped, unarmed, in a gun-free zone to begin with? After all, it was the gun-free zone that gave Adam Lanza over nine minutes without armed resistance as he plied his heinous trade on December 14, 2012.

Nevertheless, the Daily Herald reports that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) supports Ferguson’s gun control desires, which also include “stricter storage rules” that could result in punishment if someone obtains a gun owner’s weapons and “[causes] injury or death.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.