For Immediate Release

Montgomery County Council members endorse Maryland ban on assault rifles

January 10th, 2004

Baltimore, MD: CeaseFire Maryland, the state’s leading gun violence prevention group, welcomed the endorsement of Montgomery County Councilmembers for a Maryland ban on Assault Rifles during the forthcoming General Assembly session. Leah Barrett, Executive Director of CeaseFire Maryland, said: “We are pleased that local leaders see the common sense in banning these semi-automatic weapons of war from our communities. We hope that state legislators will follow suit and pass a Maryland state ban in the coming session.” Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan has also announced his support for a ban on these deadly weapons.

The 1994 federal assault weapons ban will expire in just eight months on September 13th, 2004, unless Congress passes new legislation. Senator Rob Garagiola from Montgomery County, one of the sponsors of a state ban on military-style assault rifles along with Delegate Neil Quinter of Howard County, welcomed the, “It is unlikely Congress will do the right thing and reauthorize the federal ban. As a result, you will be able to buy AK47s, Uzis and Streetsweepers at your local gun shops in just a few months. These weapons do not belong on our streets. So we want to protect Marylanders by extending our 1994 ban on assault pistols to rifles.”

He continued: “Prince George’s County Police records show they are not seizing assault pistols from criminals anymore because they have been banned in Maryland for nearly ten years – the supply has dried up. But they are continuing to seize assault rifles. Our bill would help shut off the supply of these deadly weapons of war to criminals in Maryland.”

Assault weapons are the guns of choice for criminals and were used to kill one in five law enforcement officers slain during the line of duty between 1998 and 2001, according to FBI data. One of these deaths occurred in Maryland in 2000. Montgomery County Council President, Steve Silverman, remarked: “Assault weapons are designed to instill fear and their lethality has held Kevlar-vested police at bay. Do we really want the guardians of society to be outgunned by the bad guys? This bill would also ban the Bushmaster assault rifle that was used to terrorize our community last fall.” Councilmember Marilyn Praisner added: “The very name says it all – assault weapons. These guns were created to kill people. They simply have no use in our society.”

Barrett said: “Sportsmen will not be denied their firearms. Federal law provides specific protection to 670 types of hunting rifles and shotguns currently being manufactured. And the gun industry admits that assault weapons have limited sporting use.”

Finally, nearly two-thirds of Marylanders support banning these weapons of war. A March 2003 survey by Gonzales/Arscott Research found majorities in support of a ban in every demographic sub-group and across all ages and races.

CeaseFire Maryland is a statewide non-profit organization comprised of thousands of Marylanders working with a common mission – to free Maryland from gun violence.