A state Senator is proposing a bill closing Michigan's gun-rental loophole. Senator Rick Jones (R - Grand Ledge) says it would require one of the following to rent a handgun:
- a Concealed Pistol License
- a permit to purchase a handgun
- the renter to pass a National Instant Criminal Background Check
The bill would require gun dealers to notify police if someone trying to rent a gun fails the background check. If the customer has a personal protection order against them police would then inform the subject. The bill also requires someone with a suspended CPL to turn their card into the county clerk.
The bill was introduced following a murder-suicide that was committed with a stolen rental gun. The shooting happened at JoAnn Fabrics on Saginaw Street in Lansing Township on March 26. Police tell wilx.com Timothy Olin first tried to buy a handgun from Dicker & Deal on March 15. The store refused to sell to him because he did not pass the background check. He then went to Total Firearms on March 26 and rented a semi-automatic handgun to use on the store's range. He shot for about an hour and then stole the gun around 3:30PM. He shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Rachel Duncan while she was working at JoAnn Fabrics 30 minutes later. Olin then killed himself. Duncan had a personal protection order against him.
Lansing Township police chief Adam Kline tells wilx.com that because Olin was not buying the gun and was not supposed to leave the premises, a background check was not legally required for Olin to rent the gun at Total Firearms. Chief Kline says the investigation is ongoing. FOX 47 and fox47news.com will continue to keep you updated on the case and will let you know if the bill closing the rental loophole comes up for a vote.
