PHOENIX—In an attempt to clarify the rights and obligations of those possessing firearms, the Arizona State Legislature approved a new law Wednesday declaring that a gun owner ceases to be responsible for a bullet once it has been fired from a weapon. “It simply makes no sense to hold people accountable for a round of ammunition that is no longer inside their gun, and this legislation clears this up once and for all,” said bill co-sponsor Sen. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa), observing that no one can reasonably expect an individual to exert control over a bullet or a bullet’s ultimate whereabouts once it has exited a gun’s barrel. “How can you be liable for a projectile that may be lodged as far as 5,000 feet away from where you’re standing? That’s ridiculous. Now, if we’re talking about ammunition that’s in the chamber of a gun you’re holding, or in your holster, or in a bandolier worn around the shoulder, then yes, it is still the carrier’s responsibility. But it’s unfair to penalize citizens for bullets that are not in their possession anymore.” Smith went on to state that as soon as a round enters someone’s thoracic cavity, that person immediately takes possession of the bullet and must assume full responsibility for it.

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