California Gov. Jerry Brown took a swipe Saturday at the gun laws of neighboring states, saying looser restrictions in Arizona and Nevada created a “gigantic back door” for terrorists to enter California.
“California has some of the toughest gun control laws of any state. And Nevada and Arizona are wide open, so that’s a gigantic back door through which any terrorist can walk,” Mr. Brown told the Sacramento Bee.
He made his comments in Le Bourget, France, where he recently arrived for international climate talks, several days after two shooters killed 14 people and injured 21 in San Bernardino in an attack that the FBI is investigating as an “act of terrorism.”
Law enforcement officials have said that the two shooters, who lived in California, obtained their guns legally.
Mr. Brown, a Democrat, also cited the dangers of terrorism fueled by “jihadist doctrine.”
“At the same time, I don’t minimize the significance of this terrorist attack … It’s a very clear indication that this is a global phenomenon and that people who are committed to this jihadist doctrine are going to be killing people in very unexpected places,” Mr. Brown said. “So we have to be, as I said, we have to be on our guard, and we have to do whatever we can do.”
Democrats have sounded the cry for tougher gun-control laws in the aftermath of the San Bernardino attack, while gun-rights supporters have pointed out that California’s already strict laws on firearms access failed to prevent the shooting.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday that lawmakers need to examine approaches beyond gun control, given that his state’s tough laws have not curbed gun-related crime.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.