The Songs Efforts To Combat Gun Violence Goes National

Written and reported by Jack Kramer, Patch correspondent

GUILFORD, CT — The parents of Ethan Song settled a lawsuit against the man who owned the gun that their son used to accidentally kill himself, the Hartford Courant reports. Meanwhile, the law named after their son goes into effect on Oct. 1. Kristin and Michael Song settled a federal lawsuit against gun owner Daniel Markle. The settlement for $1 million will amount to around $776,000 after legal and probate fees.

Reached for comment by Patch, Kristin Song said, "We sued Mr. Markle because we have always felt that Ethan’s death lies at his feet. He would not stand up and take responsibility for his actions... We want to send a message to gun owners that they need to take personal responsibility for their deadly weapons. They are the ones who brought the guns into the home and they should pay the ultimate price-not the children. Access to gun accounts for a majority of suicide in children and accidental shootings. Eight children a day lose their life because the gun owners did not secure their weapon."

The Songs have been busy, Mike Song said, meeting with other activists against gun violence, including Fred Guttenberg, whose 14 year old daughter Jaime Guttenberg was killed in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018. His son, also a student at the school, ran from the shooting to meet him at a nearby store.

Mike Song said: “Kristin has been invited to Las Vegas to participate in the forum organized for all of the democratic presidential candidates. She has been asked to ask a question of Cory Booker. She was asked by March for our lives to participate. She is there with Po Murray from Newtown Action — Sandy Hook. Now it’s important to emphasize that this question may be cut out of the broadcast but it may appear on MSNBC."

“Ethan’s Law goes into effect (today.) The bipartisan support for the bill is helping us make progress in DC. roughly 100 representatives have agreed to cosponsor Ethan’s Bill. Many more to follow and if we get to 218 then a hearing will be held.

Ethan Song was 15-years-old when he accidentally shot himself in the head in January 2018, according to a state attorney office investigation. Markle's teenage son was charged with second-degree manslaughter in juvenile court. The two were in Markle's residence at the time of the incident.

A new gun law that is known as "Ethan's Law" will require guns to be safely stored even when they are unloaded if the gun owner knows a minor under the age of 18 could gain access without parental permission. Previously, the law only applied to loaded weapons.