guns

Guns are being transformed into garden tools by a group called Swords to Plowshares Northeast.

Federal lawmakers will vote in the coming days on the bipartisan Safer Communities Act that includes gun reforms championed by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy from Connecticut. It would expand background checks for people under 21, offer federal funds to help states take away guns from holders at risk of hurting themselves or others, and give the federal government more power to tackle gun trafficking. A sticking point in recent federal negotiations for gun reform was an attempt by Democratic U.S. senators to close the so-called "boyfriend loophole" that allows unmarried abusers to get guns. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says the agreement may not close the loophole, but it will “substantially shrink” it.

School shootings seem to be commonplace in America today. This week on Disrupted, the impact of guns on our schools and teachers. Plus, a political scientist at UCONN tells us why fighting gun violence takes all of us.

School districts across Connecticut are deciding whether to arm security officers with guns.

Connecticut Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy say they’ve reached a bipartisan agreement that’ll yield at least 10 Republican votes for federal gun legislation. The deal includes federal prosecution for those who make “straw” purchases, made on behalf of those who cannot legally buy them; funding for states to enact and enforce red flag laws that temporarily take guns away from high-risk owners; and an effort to give law enforcement more time to do background checks on gun buyers under 21 years old.

Senate bargainers announced a bipartisan framework Sunday responding to last month’s mass shootings.

It has almost no chance of becoming law as the Senate pursues negotiations focused on improving mental health programs, bolstering school security and enhancing background checks.

Since the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Connecticut school districts have been required to file annual two-page reports indicating they have conducted lockdown drills — but more than a dozen districts have failed to file the report even once.

Prevention advocates, health care providers and gun violence survivors in Hartford marked National Gun Violence Awareness Day by calling for a stronger federal response to reducing gun violence nationwide.

The bill raising the age limit is part of legislation that will restrict civilian purchases of bullet-resistant armor, and require new guns to be equipped with microstamping technology.