(The Center Square) — Gov. Phil Murphy has signed a bill that targets gun traffickers by allowing them to be charged with more serious crimes if the guns are used in murders or shootings that cause bodily injuries.
Under the new law, individuals who traffic in illegal firearms that end up being used in a crime that results in a death could face up to 20 years in prison for first-degree crime.
Anyone who commits a firearm trafficking violation that results in “serious or significant bodily injury” may be charged with a second-degree crime, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to the newly inked law.
The bill will also allow New Jersey prosecutors to charge out-of-state gun traffickers, whom they claim supply around 80% of firearms used for crimes in the state.
Murphy boasted that the measure was a “first in the nation” law that would reduce gun violence and hold illegal firearm traffickers accountable.
“Far too many New Jerseyans live with the daily fear that people in their communities who cannot legally possess guns can illegally obtain firearms and cause great harm,” Murphy said. “This bill allows us to hold those who illegally traffic those guns accountable for the harm that those weapons are used to cause.”
The law exempts licensed firearm dealers, but they could still face charges if they fail to perform background checks or observe the state’s 45-day waiting period.
New Jersey has some of the toughest gun control laws in the nation, including mandated background checks, restrictions on high-capacity magazines and high-caliber weapons. It also has a ‘red flag’ law that allows authorities to confiscate firearms from those who are determined to pose a threat to themselves or others.
Last year, Murphy signed a bill that prevents licensed firearm owners from carrying guns in at least 25 “sensitive places” like government buildings, libraries, public transportation and day care centers. Second Amendment groups challenged the measure, but a federal appeals court recently upheld the restrictions.
Despite the state’s tough gun control laws, criminals are still getting firearms into New Jersey through illegal sales, officials say. They point to data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives showing that in 2021, only 520 of the 3,202 “crime guns” confiscated by police were originally bought in New Jersey.
In Newark, the state’s largest city, police recovered 777 illegal guns last year, a 26% increase over the previous year, authorities say.
“This new legislation is a crucial tool for more significantly holding accountable those who traffic illegal guns across state lines and for progressively reducing the number of senseless deaths and shootings that occur each year in New Jersey,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said in a statement.
