Youngstown community leaders call for changes to new Ohio gun laws

Community leaders met in Youngstown Thursday afternoon to discuss recent gun laws signed in Ohio.

The MLK Planning Committee of the Mahoning Valley held a news conference featuring law enforcement officers, teachers, clergy and students.

It was held at Homestead Park, the site where 16-year-old Isiah Walker was shot and killed just a month ago while playing basketball.

Another teenager, Brandon Wesley was shot and killed near Homestead Park in July 2020.

The group called on Republican state lawmakers to rescind the recently signed gun laws and explained why they believe they do not make the city safer.

The two laws touched on by the group were Ohio's constitutional carry law and House Bill 99, which allows school staff to carry guns within a school safety zone.

"In my opinion, this new law makes it harder for police officers to prevent gun crimes. This, in turn, I guarantee you, will make all of us less safe," Youngstown Police Chief Carl Davis said.

Youngstown police said they're already seeing the impact of Ohio's new gun laws in the city.

"Just in the past week...we had to allow 10 people, 10 individuals carrying guns that we normally or usually would arrest because they were carrying them improperly inside of the vehicle...we had to let them go because of this new law," Chief Davis said. "We have to get this law changed."

Community leaders addressed the idea of allowing school staff members to carry guns on school grounds. They say the law is a bad situation waiting to happen.

"This will not make our children safer. In fact, we strongly believe this is a bad accident waiting to happen. What happens when a teacher or other staff member reacts by pulling a gun on a student or parent during a heated situation?" Jaladah Aslam, Co-Convener, Rev. Dr. MLK Planning Committee of Mahoning Valley said.

Chief Davis and Aslam said officers undergo training to deal with shooting situations and armed staff does not have the same.

"Adding more guns to the situation is not helpful, there is no evidence, no data, no one has said if we add more guns that it will stop bad people. Let the law enforcement officers protect and serve," Aslam said.

21 News reached out to Republican state reps Al Cutrona and Mike Loychik, along with Republican state senator Mike Rulli, all of whom voted for these bills, for comment.

Mike Loychik provided the following statement to 21 News:

"Our Second Amendment is protected under our Constitution, which is why I introduced the Second Amendment Sanctuary State Act last year to prioritize the protection of law-abiding citizens’ right to keep and bear arms.

"I’ve got two young boys in elementary school, and I feel safer knowing that a teacher or school resource officer is there, at minimum, with three times the training amount of that required to obtain a CCW to protect our children and staff in schools. If someone doesn’t have a CCW, then individuals won’t have state reciprocity but still must be of legal age to buy a firearm and pass a background check.

"Law-abiding Ohioans’ Second Amendment rights should not be impeded on and hopefully, these bills will make a difference and act as a deterrent to those wanting to harm innocent lives."

Representative Al Cutrona told 21 News that House Bill 99 is permissive legislation and does not make it mandatory for teachers to carry. He said Ohio has vast geography and certain locations where law enforcement can take a long time to respond to an incident.

Cutrona said constitutional carry still means that people have to follow every requirement to carry a gun that they would need for getting a CCW permit, including a background check and not having a felony on their record.