As Florida lawmakers consider how they’re going to deal with gun violence, Miami-Dade police are trying to figure out why a gun that killed a 4-year-old was in easy reach of her and two other young children, the Miami Herald reports. By law, loaded firearms are supposed to be locked up so children can’t get to them. If they do and that weapon kills them, the responsible person faces a third-degree felony.
Meantime, requests for background checks to obtain firearms are soaring, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says nearly 300,000 people applied during the first three months of 2012.
As more Floridians buy guns, lawmakers are debating how to prevent violent incidents from happening at schools. As the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports, one bill under consideration would allow more guns on school grounds by guards or other school employees. The Florida State Conference of the NAACP is speaking out against that idea, saying it won’t make schools safer.