SPOKANE, Wash - A bill to notify family members when police return confiscated guns has won unanimous approval from the Washington state Senate.
Senators voted 49-0 Friday morning in favor of a bill named for Sheena Henderson, who was shot to death by her husband in a murder-suicide at Spokane's Deaconess Hospital in July 2014.
Gary Kennison, Sheena's father, asked state lawmakers for stricter mental health laws back in July. Kennison said he was using evidence from his daughters case to prove that mental health laws needed to be strengthened across the state.
"What I'm advocating is that family members have a way of protecting their loved ones," said Gary.
Henderson's estranged husband, Christopher, had been suffering from severe mental problems.
"I'm angry with what he did," said Kennison, "but I'm more angry with the fact that our system is so broken."
A few weeks before the shootings, police had seized Christopher's guns after a suicide attempt, but he had reclaimed them from the Spokane police without his wife being notified.
One of the more frustrating aspects of the case for Kennison was the fact that Christopher had a history of making suicidal threats. Moments before their death Christopher had been detained by police for making what police said were alarming statements about his estranged wife. The two were dead 24 hours later.
Under the new measure, family members would be able to request police notification before a person with a history of mental health issues or domestic violence gets guns back that police have taken away.
The bill next goes to the House for consideration.
