Michigan Gun Legislation After MSU Shooting
On February 13, 2023, a gunman killed three students and wounded five others on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing. The shooting — the fourth mass shooting at an American university in less than two years — prompted the Michigan Legislature to pass the most significant gun safety legislation in the state in 35 years.
Three bills were signed into law in March 2023: universal background checks for all firearm sales (closing the private sale loophole), safe storage requirements for firearms in homes with children, and a "red flag" (extreme risk protection order) law allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. The laws passed on party-line votes in the Democrat-controlled legislature.
Source: Michigan Legislature — PA 17–20 of 2023 (Gun Safety Package)
What Michigan's New Laws Require
- Universal background checks (PA 17): All firearm sales in Michigan — including private sales, gun shows, and online transactions completed in-state — now require a background check through a licensed dealer. Previously, only dealer sales required checks.
- Safe storage (PA 18): Firearms must be stored unloaded in a locked container or with a trigger lock if minors are present in the home. Violations that result in a child accessing the firearm carry criminal penalties. The law was inspired in part by the Oxford High School shooting (2021) where the shooter's parents knew of warning signs.
- Red flag law (PA 19 and 20): Law enforcement, family members, and household members can petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from an individual who poses a credible threat of harm to themselves or others. A hearing must be held within 14 days. Michigan joins 21 other states with such laws.
The Two Sides
- Universal background checks close a loophole that allows prohibited purchasers (felons, domestic abusers) to buy firearms through private sales
- Safe storage requirements protect children — over 400 children die annually in unintentional U.S. gun shootings, most involving unsecured firearms
- Red flag laws provide a crisis intervention tool short of arrest; research suggests they reduce firearm suicide rates by 7–11%
- The Supreme Court's Bruen decision (2022) established a new historical test for gun regulations; some provisions of these laws may face constitutional challenges
- Criminals who disregard existing laws will disregard new ones; law-abiding owners are burdened without proportionate safety gains
- Red flag orders remove constitutional rights without a criminal conviction — due process protections are inadequate
- Safe storage mandates create a conflict between storage requirements and the ability to quickly access a firearm for self-defense
Kent County and Cascade Township
Kent County Sheriff and Grand Rapids Police have begun implementing the new laws. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker has indicated the office will enforce safe storage provisions, particularly in cases where children gain access to firearms. The Kent County region has experienced its own high-profile gun violence events, and Forest Hills Public Schools — like all Michigan schools — has conducted threat assessment training that incorporates the new legal tools, including red flag petitions, as part of their safety protocols.