According to ULM Police Department’s director, Tom Torregrossa, officers apprehended Moya A. Ellis on March 19 after receiving reports of a suspicious person. Police found that Ellis was in possession of methamphetamine, a glass pipe and a 6mm pistol. As this story spreads around campus, it is clearer than ever that our state’s overly lenient gun control endangers us all.

NRA-ILA explains that Louisiana has some of the least restrictive gun control laws in the United States. If you are purchasing a gun from a licensed dealer, you must pass a background check since things such as felony charges and restraining orders bar one from gun ownership. However, it is easy to skip this process by purchasing from a private seller. Louisiana also requires buyers to be 18 for long guns or rifles and 21 for handguns.

Aside from age and background checks, Louisiana does not have many other restrictions. Buyers do not need a permit or license to purchase or own a gun, nor do they have to register it. After the 2024 repeal of the Concealed Carry license requirement, anyone who meets the age requirement can carry a hidden gun. Louisiana also has no restrictions on the ownership of assault weapons.

Louisiana’s gun control seems overly lenient when compared to states like California, which Gifford’s Law Center ranks as one of the most restrictive. According to Gun World, California’s purchase process involves identification, passing the Firearms Safety Certificate test and a 10-day waiting period. NRA-ILA explains that unlike in Louisiana, purchasing a firearm from an unlicensed private seller is illegal. California also has legislation prohibiting people that are mentally ill or addicts from owning a weapon.

The protection that strict gun control laws provide is affirmed by the significant difference between the states firearm violence rates. Everytown Research & Policy compares the gun violence rate (firearm deaths per 1,000 residents) to the strength of their gun control laws. With a score of 28.3, Louisiana has one of the highest gun violence rates. Compared to California’s score of 8, it is clear that strong gun control saves lives.

More strict firearm regulations might have kept the weapon out of Ellis’s hands, resulting in a safer campus. License requirements, background checks, waiting periods, assault weapon bans—every restriction adds a layer of protection over you, your loved ones and your peers. Louisiana must tighten up its gun control laws to protect the lives of its citizens.