Home » Santa Clarita News » Community News » Families Of Saugus Shooting Victims Celebrate Gun Safety Law At White House
Saugus High Shooting_Memorial
Jonathan Stratton/KHTS News.

Families Of Saugus Shooting Victims Celebrate Gun Safety Law At White House

A Saugus High School shooting survivor and the family of a Saugus shooting victim celebrated the passing of a new gun safety law at the White House Monday.

The family of 2019 Saugus shooting victim Dominic Blackwell, along with his best friend and shooting survivor Mia Tretta, attended an event at the White House Monday celebrating the new Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

“What we are doing here today is real, it’s vivid, it’s relevant,” President Joe Biden said at the event. “The action we take today is a step designed to make our nation the kind of nation we should be. It’s about the most fundamental of things — the lives of our children, of our loved ones.”

The new law aims to prevent mass shootings.

Derek, Blackwell’s brother, attended the event carrying a portrait of the two victims — his 14-year-old brother Dominic and 15-year-old Gracie Anne Muehlberger — with him.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The dmb Foundation (@dmbfoundation)

Along with other White House visitors, he watched Biden speak about the passing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Derek shook hands with Biden during the event.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The dmb Foundation (@dmbfoundation)

Mia Tretta, a rising senior in high school and gun reform activist who was wounded in the Saugus High School shooting, was also in attendance.

Tretta spoke about the dangers of ghost guns at the White House in April. A ghost gun was the murder weapon in the Saugus High School shooting.

“Today was real life saving progress celebrating the #SaferCommunitiesAct,” Tretta said. “Happy to be surrounded by such powerful leaders, activists and survivors.”

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 25.

The act enhances background checks, narrows the “boyfriend loophole” and provides funding for crisis intervention and mental health services.

More specifically, those over 16 years old looking to buy a gun are now set to have their juvenile mental health records reviewed.

Those convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor towards someone they are dating are now barred from legally buying or owning a gun for at least five years after an incident. This narrows the “boyfriend loophole.”

“Personally, I think it’s the right thing and what they have signed into law should have some positive impact,” said Bryan Muehlberger, father of Gracie.

Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, $250 million is set to to go toward the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant. The grant would fund efforts to expand mental health care access.

Funding is expected to be provided to train school staff to identify and respond to mental health issues among students.

Additionally, some of the funding provided in the bill focuses on expanding mental health services for students.


Sponsored Articles


Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to news@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS AM 1220 & FM 98.1 - Santa Clarita Radio - Santa Clarita News

Families Of Saugus Shooting Victims Celebrate Gun Safety Law At White House

70 comments

  1. Someone cue the ridiculous remarks about guns laws not being necessary in the comment section.

    Along with the anti-Biden remarks as Trump supporters continue to bury their heads in the sand over January 6th, Trump’s failure to accept the reality of the election and his personal contribution to inciting the insurrection.

    • Sorry, but you don’t know what you’re talking about. I watched almost three hours of testimony of people who were at the polls and the cheating at those polls was criminal. The January 6 production was a setup. One of the demonstrators turned out to be an informer. You think Joe won with ten people at his two rallies and mostly stayed in his basement while Trump drew thousands at his rallies? Joe said himself it was set up for him to win. They showed him saying it several times. This is the most evil administration ever!

      • Everything not so Rosie… I think your tin foil hat is on a little too tight.

      • Rosie, you are right, the Jan.6 insurrection was a set-up, by Trump himself. You should watch the hearings and learn about how it all went. The people testifying are UNDER OATH and many from Trump’s inner circle and family. It takes patience and time, but it’ll help you understand.

    • John winters- Awww trump deranged syndrome is long term. Hopefully there will be a vaccine for that and soon.

  2. The liberal anti-American woke joke bully mob and Joe Biden are garbage. The second amendment is here to stay. Nothing that that imbecile and the democratic party are going to fix. Both parties love their guns. Worry about the country that wants to take away your Second Amendment right. By the way Democratic run states have the most gun laws and the highest crime. Go figure. Our politicians can’t fix anything let alone putting the toothpaste back in the tube.

    • Liberal Ant-American, dude you are delusional. You support a fascist, twice impeached former President who incited an armed insurrection to overthrow the will of the people. Republicans love their guns more than their children, they love their “power” more than than their country, and they claim government cannot tell you to wear a mask, but can force a 10 year old victim of rape/incest to give birth. FTFO idiot.

      • Well, that’s some high powered repeating of leftist talking points there, Lou. Well done!

        The gun issue is contentious for sure, but to spew the nonsense of “…Republicans love their guns more than their children, blah, blah, blah and will force a 10 year old victim of rape/incest to give birth. FTFO idiot…” merely proves the point that you are uninformed, ignorant, hateful, and just not too bright.

        It’s interesting that the story you quote as solid truth about the 10-year old rape victim has not been verified by a single independent source, including CNN, the NYT, The Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, or the Washington Post. In addition, the State of Ohio can find no corroboration or evidence to support the story. You even assert the victim is being forced to give birth. That alone is demonstrably false and absurd.

        You need to sit this one out – you have no credibility, and are therefore not entitled to express your opinion.

        • Wrong again! The 10 year old child and victim of rape is a TRUE story. The man who raped her was arrested and charged yesterday. His name is Gershon Fuentes, and he was charged with felony rape. The fact the Faux News attempted to call this tragic story a hoax, (looking at you, Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Jessie Watters) shows just how low the bar is when reporting facts and just how STUPID, IGNORANT and FOOLISH you are.

          NEXT

      • Law enforcement or any hospital has a record of a 10 year old requiring an abortion.Hospitals have to report that to law enforcement and law enforcement has to arrest.

      • Alice –
        You are delusional! I bet you support keeping GasCON & newsom too.

  3. You can be pro-America and realize reform and gun regulation are necessary. If politicians can’t fix anything, who will? You? Your gun? Sounds like you have no faith in America.

    Bully mob? What planet are you on? You mean like the Bully Mob on Jan 6th? Or the one in Charlottesville? The Proud Boys, The Oath Keeper, which Far Right Bully Mob are you referring to?

    Your ignorance is no joke.

  4. Finally, if we have more gun control, criminals won’t have guns and commit crimes. We need to do the same with the border, domestic violence, drugs, and insider trading…

  5. Jose is right no doubt. They can’t help themselves from bullying.

  6. Alice in Wonderland, You folks who are obsessed with Jan. 6 are typical of the Liberal Condoning Disease which focuses on the pimple but ignores the cancer! The months long BLM/Antifa Liberal riots were much more deadly & costly with the burning of Federal buildings, police stations, private businesses, etc., the looting, taking over areas of Liberal cities, etc. All cities controlled by Liberals like Seattle to LA, Chicago, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Kenosha, NY, etc. are in ruins with high crime, slums, vagrants, high taxes, etc.! Liberals have pandered & Used two groups of supposed minorities only for their votes & brainwashing to undermine once wonderful America!

  7. Firearms Kill around 50 thousand people a year including suicide. Abotion kills around 300 thousand a year and murder is legal. Think of all the unborn children that never had a chance. I am very sorry that those children were part of the firearm statistic. I am sure if it was one of my kids I would have a different point of view.

    • Why did these women get pregnant?
      A few may have been raped, but the vast majority had unprotected sex with unsuitable partners for fun or profit.
      The sexual devolution into casual Promiscuity is coming home to roost.
      Pills, Condoms, Convents, ate making a comeback.
      Then there is Sodomy and Ghonnerea!

      • Why do women get pregnant asks a man, oh that’s rich! Another fool attempting to mansplain why women’s sexuality is evil using lame biblical references. For your information, in the United States alone, 1 out of 6 women in their lifetime will be raped and incest occurs in over 10% of American families. If that’s your idea of fun and games, then you are one sick bastard.

        For your information, over half of all abortions performed were result of an UNINTENDED pregnancy. Birth control is not fool proof and it is NOT solely a woman’s responsibility. Statistically speaking, among women who obtained an abortion over 45% had one to two live births, so these women are well aware of the costs, burdens and yes, the joy of motherhood; they are NOT promiscuous nor or they having sex for profit.

        Do better, educate yourself. You ask “why did these women get pregnant?” Well idiot, it didn’t happen by osmosis.

    • Pretty sure we have enough people on this planet…

  8. If I’m not mistaken wasn’t the gun used a ghost gun?

  9. Alice, you are the JACKASS Party Poster Girl. You will never know just how large I am. But keep sniffing the wind!
    Donkey-Pox-Disease is destroying California.

    • It’s about gun reform advancement along with increased background checks, mental health support, all things The Right Wing are against. Drivel… your next response will be something along the lines of I know you are but what am I.

      • John is the Donkey Pox “Typhoid Mary”.
        Trying to infect rational “No Taxes” Voters.
        But most of us are vaccinated.
        But not Alice, Arnt, DummySSE, “random made-up names” like “LetsGrowBoy-boobsToday”.

  10. Its a choice, to each their own. Like your choice to be a close-minded intolerant blowhard who likes to take away the rights of women and those that think different than you.

    • And you choose to support ending human life.
      You are NOT a woman’s choice.

    • Johnny Boy, I think you are in the wrong thread. Weren’t you trying to post about the mental health hot-line? And not the Saugus shooting article you know nothing about?

      • My initial post went as predicted as you’d see if you scrolled to the top of this mess heap. Bowling Bill, Ben Dover and KMS are laughable right wing wackjobs. Ghost guns kill people, as do assault rifles and if we learned anything from the recent Uvalde school shooting, the biggest since Sandy Hook, both incidents where guns were obtained legally, reform is necessary. If you cared about children, school shooting as well, you’d see that clearly.

        • I just don’t like whiny snot nosed idiots.

          • Okay Gran Torino. I can see you do like dim witted attempts at humorous banter with like minded folks. Your put downs are jr high level garbage. It’s you who know very little. Educate yourself, rise above these bozos in the peanut gallery.

  11. Johnboy, I do not need to rise for you to be beneath me.
    Do you remember what this article was even about?
    None of your drivel is related to the article. You are the one in Jr High.

  12. Was it All Labs Matter ? No, it was about gun reform, increased background checks, mental health support. All things your party is firmly against.

  13. My party, Libertarian, is against Taxation and Government Overreach. You should support laws against crimminals who use guns; not law abing American Patriots.
    Will Roger’s once said: “The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.” Woof!

  14. I’m gonna have throw you a ball to Texas, you’d fit in much better there.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Zena Taher

Zena Taher moved to Santa Clarita when she was 12 years old. She has always been a voracious reader, which led her to take an interest in writing professionally. She graduated College of the Canyons in 2021 with a double major in journalism and communications and is currently attending California State University Northridge.