Charleston mother heads to state house lobbying for stricter gun laws

CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - Advocates for stricter gun laws traveled from all over the state to the South Carolina State House to speak with lawmakers on Tuesday.

They say they want the legislators to hear their stories of loss due to gun violence in person so the people voting can associate gun violence with a specific picture or name.

Hundreds of “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” members traveled to Columbia to show they are serious when it comes to pushing for stricter gun laws, including Melody Geddis-McFadden from Charleston, who says she knows the definition of gun violence too well.

“When you get the call saying your child has been shot and they tell you,'He’s passed away.' you die. When my son died, I died,” Geddis-McFadden says.

She says that specific day was supposed to be so happy, and instead turned deadly.

“He turned 18 years old at 12 o’clock, and at 12:15 he was dead,” she says. “He never got the chance to celebrate.”

She says that is exactly why she is walking the State House grounds, because she wants the legislators to put her son’s face side by side with change.

“He will continue to live, and I will continue to fight against gun violence,” the mourning mother says.

The whole group from the Lowcountry saying they need the “Charleston Loophole” to close on the state and federal level because that would be double the protection.

“We all support the second amendment, but it is making sure dangerous people can’t get a hold of a gun,” said Nicole Dietrich, a member of Moms Demand Action.

And some state senators say they wholeheartedly agree action needs to be taken.

“Our main streets are being converted to a shootout. This gun mania sweeping our nation has to be addressed,” said Marlon Kempson, a South Carolina state senator.

That state level bill to extend gun purchase background checks passed through the house but has not yet been passed to committee in the senate.

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