[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S1414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         NEED FOR CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ON AMERICAN-MADE HANDGUNS

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to call to the attention of 
the Senate a terrible tragedy that occurred yesterday in Bridgeport, 
CT. The death of 8-year-old Tynisha Gathers demonstrates once again the 
need for child safety locks on American-made handguns.
  Yesterday, Tynisha was playing at her grandmother's house when one of 
her friends found a small 38-caliber handgun. In the course of acting 
out a scene from a popular movie, Tynisha was shot in the forehead and 
killed. Her 10-year-old playmate has been charged with manslaughter. If 
the handgun used to kill Tynisha Gathers included adequate safety 
features, this tragedy could have been prevented.
  I have introduced legislation to require all American-made handguns 
to meet the same quality and safety standards currently required of 
imports. President Clinton has recognized this crisis, calling in his 
State of the Union Address for Congress to pass legislation requiring 
``child safety locks on handguns to prevent unauthorized use.''
  Mr. President, I urge all Senators to read this Associated Press 
story about the tragic death of Tynisha Gathers and consider 
cosponsoring S. 70.
  I ask that the Associated Press article be printed at this point in 
the Record.
  The article follows:

        Police Say Movie Linked to Fatal Shooting of Young Girl

                        (By Brigitte Greenberg)

       Bridgeport, CT.--A movie that authorities have linked to 
     shootings in California and Missouri apparently instigated a 
     fatal shooting of an 8-year-old girl here, police said.
       Tynisha Gathers was shot in the forehead as she and other 
     children imitated scenes from the movie ``Set It Off,'' 
     police said Wednesday. The little girl was shot by one of 
     three other children playing with a small pistol a .380-
     caliber semiautomatic handgun, police said.
       Detectives were investigating how the children got access 
     to the weapon, said police Capt. John Donovan. A 10-year-old 
     girl was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter.
       The shooting occurred after the four children watched a 
     videotape of the movie Tuesday evening, police said. Donovan 
     said the tape apparently was a bootleg copy; the film, which 
     arrived in theaters in November, is not yet in video stores.
       The children said they were replaying a scene from the 
     movie, said police Lt. Frank Resta.
       The suspect was taken to a juvenile detention center, Resta 
     said.
       Donovan was circumspect about the movie's impact on the 
     children.
       ``I'll leave that to the sociologists. We have charges 
     lodged against a 10-year-old,'' he said.
       Police said the shooting occurred in the victim's 
     grandmother's house; the grandmother was home at the time but 
     was not in the room.
       The R-rated ``Set It Off,'' which features rap star Queen 
     Latifah, is about four desperate women who go on a bank 
     robbery spree.
       Authorities in California and Missouri have linked the 
     movie to several shootings. The film was canceled at an 
     Independence, Mo., theater after a moviegoer fired a gun 
     inside a theater.
       In Torrance, Calif., one man was killed outside a theater 
     showing the movie and two teen-agers were wounded. In Los 
     Angeles, three people were injured during a shootout between 
     rival gangs inside a theater where the film was 
     playing.

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