By Dave Workman
Seattle’s KIRO Eyewitness News appears determined to show the failure of Washington state’s restrictive gun control laws, either unintentionally or by design, but over the past few days, the local CBS News affiliate has reported three different cases which undermine arguments by anti-rights Democrats that tough gun laws will keep guns out of the wrong hands.
It has not worked out that way.
An early morning carjacking in the Seattle suburb of Renton Wednesday ended that evening when police in Kent—a city a few miles to the south—and the suspects had fled, leaving four handguns in the vehicle, KIRO reported. Two of those guns appeared to have illegally-installed “Glock switches” and all were loaded.
The police report posted on Facebook by the Des Moines police did not mention whether any of the guns were stolen. All four suspects were taken into custody.
This case unfolded a day after Seattle police arrested a repeat convicted felon, armed with a handgun reported stolen nearly eight years ago in New Llano, Louisiana. According to the Seattle Police Blotter, the 47-year-old suspect initially had been reportedly involved in a robbery, but officers subsequently determined no robbery had occurred.
However, during their investigation, police discovered the fellow was packing the pistol, and according to KIRO, they also determined he was being sought by detectives for another felony they were investigating.
In a third case reported by the Seattle news crew, police in Sequim—a community on the Olympic Peninsula about 70 miles from Seattle—a guy pulled a gun on his “soon-to-be ex-wife” earlier in the week and when he was rounded up by the cops, they recovered the gun and several magazines, plus a bag full of ammunition, drugs and “other weapons.”
This fellow is also a convicted felon, so he could not legally have a firearm.
All of these reports take Evergreen State Second Amendment activists back to the 2025 legislative session in Olympia, where Democrats united behind House Bill 1163, which will require training and a permit-to-purchase from the State Patrol before a Washington resident can legally purchase a firearm, as of May 1, 2027.
Every Republican lawmaker opposed the bill, but majority Democrats passed the bill, anyway. TGM earlier identified the bill’s sponsors, listed alphabetically: Liz Berry, April Berg, Lisa Callan, Julio Cortes, Lauren Davis, Beth Doglio, Davina Duerr, Darya Farivar, Jake Fey, Joe Fitzgibbon, Mary Fosse, Roger Goodman, Mia Gregerson, Nicole Macri, Sharlett Mena, Edwin Obras, Lisa Parshley, Strom Peterson, Gerry Pollet, Alex Ramel, Julia Reed, Cindy Ryu, Osman Salahuddin, Jamila Taylor, Tarra Simmons, Chipalo Street, Steve Tharinger, Amy Walen, and Sharon Wylie.
There is little doubt the new law will be challenged on constitutional grounds almost immediately after it takes effect.
Washington has not had a Republican-controlled Legislature in several years, and it has been four decades since a Republican occupied the governor’s office. Several gun control laws adopted in recent years are being challenged in court.
Workman is editor-in-chief at TheGunMag.com
