Guns and minors

What Wisconsin law says about guns and minors

From CNN's Eric Levenson

Investigators are looking into how the 15-year-old shooter got access to the gun used in the attack, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.

Both federal and Wisconsin law generally make it illegal for someone under 18 to possess a firearm. State law similarly makes it illegal for any person to intentionally sell, loan or give a dangerous weapon to someone under 18. However, state law has exceptions that allow a minor to possess a firearm for target practice under adult supervision, for use in the armed forces or for hunting.

In addition, Wisconsin has a child access firearm law that makes it illegal to recklessly store a loaded firearm within reach or easy access of a child under 14.

Remember: In recent years, the parents of teenage school shooters in Oxford, Michigan, and Winder, Georgia, have faced charges for allegedly recklessly giving their child access to a firearm despite concerns about their mental health.

In the Madison shooting, Chief Barnes has said investigators are looking at “if the parents may have been negligent” but said that “does not appear to be the case.”

“The parents are fully cooperating,” he said Monday night. “We have no reason to believe that they have committed a crime at this time.”