{"id":132,"date":"2024-09-06T16:08:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T21:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lubbock-sucks.local\/?p=132"},"modified":"2024-09-19T09:05:55","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T14:05:55","slug":"local-federal-officials-spotlight-texas-gun-laws-need-for-responsible-gun-ownership-after-bust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lubbock-sucks.local\/news\/local-federal-officials-spotlight-texas-gun-laws-need-for-responsible-gun-ownership-after-bust\/","title":{"rendered":"Local, federal officials spotlight Texas gun laws, need for responsible gun ownership after bust"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
https:\/\/radio.kttz.org\/2024-09-06\/local-federal-officials-spotlight-texas-gun-laws-need-for-responsible-gun-ownership-after-bust<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A joint effort between federal, state, and local law enforcement led to the arrest of eight people in Lubbock on Wednesday. State and local officials are using the takedown to underline issues with stolen guns, modified weapons, and enforcing current gun laws in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The operation started with drug trafficking allegations in Lubbock from confidential informants. Local investigators eventually brought on the help of state and federal agents with departments like the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton, said the bust was part of \u201cProject Safe Neighborhoods,\u201d which she described as a cooperative effort between all levels of law enforcement and prosecutors to get to the root of the community\u2019s \u201cmost significant drivers of violence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite a reduction reported<\/u><\/a> by Lubbock Police in violent crime rates last year, many continue to be concerned<\/u><\/a> about gun violence in Lubbock<\/u><\/a>, especially the number of cases involving teens<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simonton said the purpose of this operation was to target \u201crepeat offenders.\u201d Four of the eight individuals arrested were charged as previously convicted felons in possession of a firearm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want the felons in this community to know that we do not hesitate to take cases federal and to charge them federally if they have a gun and they’re not supposed to,\u201d Simonton said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Simonton said felon in possession of a firearm is one of the \u201cmost powerful charges\u201d from the attorney\u2019s office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe actually have one of the most active firearms charging practices in the entire country; we are usually ranked within the top five and sometimes number one for the amount of firearms cases that are charged federally,\u201d Simonton said. \u201cThat includes a bulk of what we’re charging in this takedown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well as 12 firearms, over 900 grams of methamphetamine, two ounces of cocaine and more than 10 pounds of marijuana were seized in the arrests. Sara Abel, with the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said one gun seized was previously used in a crime, and another was equipped with a \u201cswitch\u201d trigger modification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Abel described the modification as a four-inch piece of plastic that \u201clooks almost like a Lego,\u201d which can be attached to the trigger of a gun to convert the weapon from semi-automatic to fully automatic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat means that instead of having to pull the trigger every time to fire a shot, a shooter can pull the trigger just once, and the gun will continuously shoot until the magazine is emptied,\u201d Abel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n