Massachusetts already ranks among the most restrictive states when it comes to gun laws, but for some, it’s still not enough.
On March 26, gun control activists from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action gathered in Boston for an Advocacy Day event. They marched from the Cathedral Church of St. Paul to the State House, demanding lawmakers crack down even harder—this time on the firearms industry itself.
Among them was Lorna Heron, whose son was murdered by an individual using a firearm not legally owned or possessed in the state. “He was shot 15 times by that semiautomatic weapon,” she said. “I also found out that the last blow was by a gun… transported here to our beautiful Massachusetts gun law state by someone that did not have the right to own a gun here.”
Her story, though tragic, highlights a recurring theme in gun control narratives: blaming legal gun owners and the industry for the actions of criminals who already ignore the law.
The activists are backing legislation from State Sen. Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) aimed at holding gun manufacturers and sellers “accountable” for crimes committed with their products—echoing a broader national push to sidestep federal protections under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.
State Rep. Michael Day (D-Stoneham), who chairs the Judiciary Committee and authored the sweeping 2024 gun control bill, spoke at the event. The law he championed includes a ban on so-called “ghost guns,” mandates live-fire training for gun license applicants, allows healthcare professionals to initiate red flag orders, and imposes additional restrictions on public carry.
Day positioned the law as necessary to “protect” not only children and teachers but also “gun owners themselves.” He also took aim at the NRA and gun rights groups working to repeal the legislation via a 2026 ballot initiative. “If they can knock it out in Massachusetts, they can run the country,” he warned. “We’re gonna say no in Massachusetts.”
But not everyone’s buying the “common sense” gun safety spin.
Jim Wallace, Executive Director of the Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL), said the so-called inclusive listening tour that preceded the bill was little more than political theater.
“We tried in vain to work with them and they just lied to us the entire time about what this bill was gonna be about,” Wallace said in a phone interview. “The fact that they supposedly included people and had a listening tour was nothing but a sham.”
According to Wallace, early talks had consensus around regulating ghost guns and supporting live-fire training. But when the legislation was drafted and pushed through—largely behind closed doors—it went far beyond that scope, targeting lawful gun owners with sweeping new restrictions.
GOAL and other rights groups are now focusing on efforts to repeal the law in 2026, while gun control advocates continue pushing to hold the gun industry “accountable”—despite repeated failures in court to do just that.
While activists march and lawmakers grandstand, the reality remains: criminals still don’t follow the law, and lawful gun owners are once again left paying the price for crimes they didn’t commit.
