Boston developer John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence, said the potential Empire State bill could also work well in the Bay State. “That kind of background information could help determine whether someone should be considered a prohibited buyer or not,” Rosenthal said.
The social media and internet review would look to target any evidence of hate speech, something that Rosenthal said could be a key factor in identifying those who may not be qualified to own a gun. “It’s a very toxic combination and common thread among mass shooters between a history of hate speech online prior to them actually executing mass shootings,” he said.
Chris Pinto, chairman of Massachusetts Gun Rights Inc., said the idea of social media checks is “ridiculous.”. “I think it’s dangerous. It infringes upon all sorts of rights ... It’s bad in so many ways,”