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By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat
Colorado students assembled on the steps of the Colorado Capitol’s West Foyer on Wednesday with a familiar message to lawmakers: Pass more gun control reform measures.
It was the Colorado Students Demand Action chapter’s fourth rally since local students ramped up organizing efforts in the wake of a 2023 shooting at Denver’s East High School. The organization helps mobilize high school and college students to advocate for gun violence prevention measures. Colorado’s chapter is the largest of its kind in the country, national organizers said.
About 115 students gathered to support ghost gun legislation that seeks to update a 2023 law that made it illegal to assemble, possess, or sell a gun without a serial number. Ghost guns are created through kits or parts manufactured by a 3D printer. A student reportedly used a ghost gun during the 2023 East High School shooting.
The students want lawmakers to approve House Bill 1144, which would ban the private manufacturing of unfinished gun frames by 3D printers as well as the possession and distribution of 3D gun blueprints.
Regis Jesuit High School student Cadelaine Hausknecht, 16, said she attended STEM School Highlands Ranch in 2019 during a school shooting. She said recent legislative victories mean very little if lawmakers don’t pass updated laws to stop the creation of illegal guns.
“All of the work that we’ve done in making sure that there are better background checks and mental health checks, none of it matters if somebody can just print a firearm at home,” she said.
During the rally, lawmakers said advancements in 3D printing equipment since the 2023 law mean that the state’s ban on ghost guns needs updating.
“This bill is vital to furthering safety here in Colorado. 3D-printed firearms and their components have become more accessible, affordable, and advanced,” said state Sen. Katie Wallace, a Longmont Democrat sponsoring the bill. “These types of weapons are untraceable and pose a serious threat to public safety and to each one of us.”
Bill sponsors also include Democratic state Reps. Lindsay Gilchrist of Denver, Andrew Boesenecker of Fort Collins, and Sen. Tom Sullivan of Centennial.
Since 2023, students have supported gun reform laws approved by Colorado lawmakers, including the ghost gun legislation and updated red flag gun law measures that allow for the temporary removal of a person’s guns if they’re a danger to themselves or others. Lawmakers also want an update to the state’s red flag gun laws this year.
“Students have shown up. We have testified more times than we can count. We have balanced AP classes, sports, jobs, and college applications, yet we are still here because this is about safety,” said Grant Kramer, an East High School student. “It is about our futures. We are asking lawmakers to show the same commitment.”
Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at [email protected].
