Rep. Jon Richards working to tighten WI gun laws after Brookfield shooting

MILWAUKEE -- Wisconsin state Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) has announced he plans to work with domestic violence victim advocates and others to tighten Wisconsin’s gun laws. This, following the mass shooting incident at the Azana Salon & Spa in Brookfield on Sunday, October 21st. 

Three were killed (including the gunman's ex-wife) and four were injured in the shooting. The gunman was found dead inside the salon of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Since the shooting, it has been reported there were a series of domestic violence related incidents between the gunman and his ex-wife that involved police response.

Last Thursday, October 18th -- two days before the Azana shooting, the gunman, 45-year-old Radcliffe Haughton was served with a four-year restraining order against his ex-wife in court. He was ordered to surrender any weapons to authorities, yet on Saturday, October 20th -- just one day before the shooting, it was reported Haughton purchased the gun used in the shooting from a private citizen.

In an effort to prevent similar situations in the future, Rep. Richards said he intends to introduce legislation to close legal loopholes that domestic violence perpetrators exploit to obtain or keep weapons.

“Domestic abusers in Wisconsin can use many loopholes to get access to guns even after they have a restraining order against them and even after the police witness them using a gun in a domestic violence incident. Radcliffe Haughton used these loopholes to purchase a gun even after he had been ordered not to have weapons. That is unacceptable. We need to close these loopholes and protect victims of domestic violence," Rep. Richards said.

Richards said he will be meeting with advocates and others in the coming weeks to discuss a number of legislative options, including measures to:

    Carmen Pitre, chair of Milwaukee’s Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, said Sunday’s shooting should serve to jumpstart efforts to provide victims of domestic violence more protection in the future.

    “Access to firearms always makes an abuser more lethal. The Brookfield shooting should
    motivate us to scrutinize all measures and opportunities to maximize safety for victims in the future," Pitre said.

    Richards said he hopes to have a bill ready for introduction when the legislature starts its news session in January.

    CLICK HERE for additional coverage of the Azana Salon & Spa shooting via FOX6Now.com.