Saratoga Springs City Council Unanimously Passes Local Safe Storage Law Named for Nicholas Naumkin
Saratoga Springs, NY – April 5, 2016 – This evening the City Council of the City of Saratoga Springs, New York, unanimously passed a firearm safe storage law named for Nicholas Naumkin, the twelve-year-old resident who was unintentionally shot and killed by a friend in December 2010. Nicholas’s Law would require guns to be safely stored when not in the owner’s immediate possession or control.
Nicholas’s mother, Oxsana Naumkin, said, “I would like to thank Saratoga Springs City Council for passing Nicholas’s Law today. It has been five and a half years since our son Nicholas was taken away from us. There are no words to describe the pain we live with every day. No parent should ever have to experience this kind of loss and that is why it is so important that we stand together to prevent these senseless tragedies from happening over and over again. Your vote today will prevent such tragedies from devastating other families. Adults must be held criminally responsible when unsecured guns get into the hands of children. I am proud to work with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and Saratogians for Gun Safety to fight for sensible gun laws in this state. Now we need the Senate to act and pass Nicholas’s Law at the state level to protect all New York families and children.”
Commissioner Chris Mathiesen who introduced the legislation said, “Saratoga Springs has taken an important step to protect the safety of families and especially children in our community. By passing our local version of Nicholas’s Law we will increase awareness of the need to maintain the safe and secure storage of firearms and significantly reduce the possibility of another tragedy such as the one experienced by Nicholas’s family.”
Saratoga Springs Mayor Yepsen commented, “Safety is the number one priority for any community. Saratoga Springs’ families deserve any sensible precautions we can collectively take. If Nicholas’s Law saves even one life, it will help ensure other families won’t have to endure such a horrifc tragedy.”
“As a parent, when this happened to the Naumkin family, I was very saddened and found I could not let it go. I joined New Yorkers Against Gun Violence to do what I could do so this would not happen again. I am grateful to the city of Saratoga Springs for coming together to keep our children safe,” said Pat Tuz, Capital Region Coordinator for New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.
Leah Gunn Barrett, NYAGV Executive Director, said, “With tonight’s vote, Saratoga Springs becomes the seventh municipality in New York with a safe storage law, joining Albany, New York City, Westchester County, Syracuse, Buffalo and Rochester. Senate leader Flanagan must bring Nicholas’s Law to a vote before the current legislative session ends in June. He must be reminded that 91% of New York voters and 71% of gun owner voters support a statewide safe storage law. If the Senate fails to act yet again, we will continue our work with municipal governments to enact more safe storage laws until the state legislature finally decides that protecting New York’s children is more important than pandering to the corporate gun lobby.”
New Yorkers Against Gun Violence is a statewide advocacy group working to reduce gun violence through advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, the organization also advocates at the local and national levels for sensible gun laws, policies and practices that protect New York State residents from gun violence.