New York Governor Kathy Hochul is also pushing several pieces of legislation to state lawmakers.
The governor is pushing a package of action in response to the murder spree by self-proclaimed fascist white supremacist Payton Gendron at a supermarket in Buffalo last weekend.
One order would require state police to seize weapons under the state’s red flag laws “whenever they have probable cause to believe that an individual is a threat to themselves or others”.
Gendron previously underwent a medical evaluation after making threatening comments at his former high school, but he sold authorities a story about just wanting to get out of class and was deemed not enough of a threat to prevent him from purchasing weapons.
Another of Hochul’s orders directs state police to form a dedicated unit to monitor social media for potential threats after Gendron’s manifesto revealed he was radicalized primarily through the fringe forum 4chan and posted there regularly.
Of the legislation she proposed, one bill would require semi-automatic handguns sold in New York to microstamp ammunition as it’s fired, which might help law enforcement investigate gun crimes.
She is also advocating legislation that requires law enforcement to report firearms recovered from a crime scene within 24 hours and one bill that expands the definition of firearms.
