• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, May 6, 2019

In the aftermath of the tragic shooting last week at UNC Charlotte Stop Handgun Violence is out with a new public awareness campaign this week to drive home the dangers of 3D printed firearms. The organization worked with Arnold Worldwide on the project.

In a newly released video, still 3D images of students holding backpacks and books as they enter their high school turn haunting as teenagers are shown trying to barricade a door and climb through windows to escape an active shooter. Following horrifying scenes of a mass shooting at a nondescript high school that could be anywhere, the video concludes with a rallying cry for people to contact their Congress people to drive forward national legislative action. The SHV microsite makes it easy for citizens to contact members of Congress.

“We are in desperate need for more public support to push lawmakers to ban 3D printed guns,” said John Rosenthal, founder and chair of Stop Handgun Violence. “These firearms pose a huge risk to public safety and we need our elected officials to take swift action to stem the flow of these dangerous and completely unregulated weapons.”

Such guns do pose a risk -- no question -- although fortunately, 3D guns aren’t very accurate or durable, although with advances in technology they no doubt will be. Now would be a great time to get legislation in place that bans making 3D guns altogether.

Sadly, the bigger problem is the widespread legal availability of good old-fashioned guns made of steel. The alleged UNC shooter used a legally purchased handgun.

Anyone who is hellbent on murderous mayhem is going to have access to a large supply of guns. Legal or illegal. That’s not going to change any time soon.