Florida shooting unrelated to permitless carry law
- This article is more than one year old.
- Published on May 31, 2023 at 23:07
- 2 min read
- By AFP USA
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"ANOTHER ONE: A mass shooting has taken place Hollywood Beach, Florida. CBS reports that at least seven people have been shot, including children," says a May 29, 2023 tweet from Really American, a liberal political action committee.
"In April, DeSantis' permitless carry went into effect."
Other posts misreporting the bill's effective date circulated on Twitter and Facebook after nine people were injured in a Memorial Day shooting in Hollywood Beach, Florida.
On April 3, DeSantis signed a bill (archived here) that eliminates permit requirements for carrying concealed weapons. But that change will not go into effect until July 1.
When that happens, Floridians seeking to carry a concealed firearm will no longer have to receive a mandatory background check or take a training course. Other gun ownership requirements, including age restrictions, will still apply.
Qualified Florida citizens must undergo a background check to purchase firearms from a licensed dealer, in compliance with federal law. However, there are no such stipulations for private transactions and exchanges.
The state's policy change comes five years after former Republican governor Rick Scott signed a bill tightening gun restrictions after a deadly mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
On May 24, US President Joe Biden called on Republicans in Congress to end the "epidemic" of gun violence by enacting stricter laws. He made the comments at a White House memorial for those killed in a May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
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