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KIRO 7 Town Hall: An urgent conversation about guns

Gun control versus gun rights. As the debate rages here in Western Washington, KIRO 7 brought you a thoughtful, balanced discussion.

In a live town hall, we explored the gun controversy -- with insight from all sides. Hear from advocates, experts, victims, and local leaders including Governor Jay Inslee.

Find the entire town hall recorded above.

See below for time-stamped updates from the town hall on guns. Keep scrolling down to read about the night's panelists.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS OF KIRO 7'S TOWN HALL.

  • Governor Jay Inslee: Inslee has served as governor since 2013. After last year's Las Vegas massacre, Inslee called for a ban of bump stocks, something that can be used to enable a weapon to fire rapidly – as many as 400 to 800 rounds per minute. He signed the ban into law this month.
  • Brady Olson: Olson is a North Thurston High School teacher, who took down a gunman in 2015. A student fired shots into the air and ground, and Olson tackled him. The gun was fully loaded before he started shooting, police said.
  • Four high school students: Catherine Zhu is an Ingraham HS senior and local "March for our Lives" organizer. The "March for our Lives" demonstration is March 24. Miguel Estevez is a sophomore at  Highline High School, where he serves on a committee working to build a safer and more inclusive environment. Bailey Thoms (junior) and  Luke Thorington (senior) attend Marysville Getchell High School; they organized an "Are We Next" in Marysville early March.
  • Ricardo "Rico" Alvarez: Alvarez dropped out of school at 16 because of the threat of violence outside of school hours. Rico himself became a victim of gun violence. He recently completed his GED and is attending Green River Community College.
  • Sen. Manka Dhingra: Dhingra is a Democratic lawmaker representing the 45th district. Her win gave democrats full control of the state government. She's pushed for banning accessories like bump stocks.
  • Sen. Tim Sheldon: Sheldon is a Republican lawmaker, who has served Washington since 1991 representing the 35th District. Sheldon is opposed  Senate Bill 6620, which would have raised the legal age to buy guns from 18 years old to 21 years old.
  • Diana Pinto: Pinto is the co-owner of Pinto's gun shop in Renton. After the Las Vegas massacre, she told KIRO 7 that she feels for all the victims but warned against the knee-jerk reaction on gun control. Pinto said a better plan would be to ensure gun stores have up-to-date information on would-be buyers when they run background checks.
  • Dave Workman: Workman served three terms on the NRA board of directors until 2002. He is the communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, a senior editor of Gun Week magazine, a senior editor at TheGunMag.com, and the "Seattle Gun Rights Examiner" at the examiner.com. Workman is also an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Sung: Sung is a board-certified psychiatrist who has offered psychiatry consultation and care to people facing substance use and psychiatric conditions. His clinical interests focus on psychotherapy. Sung also is an acting instructor with Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington.
  • Jacqueline Helfgott, Ph.D.: Helfgott is the Criminal Justice Department Chair at Seattle University. Her research interests include criminal behavior, psychopathy, copycat crime, corrections, offender reentry, community and restorative justice/public safety, and victim impact in criminal justice decision-making. Helfgott also is the author of Criminal Behavior: Theories, Typologies, and Criminal Justice, among other works.
  • Rev. Dr. Sandy Brown: Brown is a United Methodist pastor, author and community activist. He was awarded the Washington Ceasefire 2013 Citizen of the Year. Brown, who holds a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary, also is a former president of the Lake Washington School Board.
  • Walter Stawicki: Stawicki is the father of Ian Stawicki who fatally shot five people and wounded another man in a 2012 in a Seattle killing spree. Four were killed at Café Racer, and his fifth victim, a mother of two young girls, was killed at random when Stawicki stole her SUV on First Hill. Stawicki, who suffered from mental illness, killed himself when confronted by police. Walter Stawicki believes his son's mental health problems intensified in the years before his killing spree.
  • Dr. Jeffrey Sung: Sung is a board-certified psychiatrist who has offered psychiatry consultation and care to people facing substance use and psychiatric conditions. His clinical interests focus on psychotherapy. Sung also is an acting instructor with Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington.

RELEASE, WAIVER OF LIABILITY & PHOTO/VIDEO RELEASE

I have chosen to attend the KIRO 7 Live Town Hall (the “Event”) of my own volition. I understand and agree that the Event, as with other town halls, may involve discussion of matters that people are passionate about, and therefore presents certain risks, which may include, confrontations, shouting, accidents, injury, and property damage. I agree that by participating, I accept these and as well as any other risk that may arise from or in connection with the Event.
Throughout the Event, I agree to behave reasonably and respectfully. I will not engage in any violence nor will I do anything to incite violence, nor will I shout at or verbally assault anyone. I agree that I will not use any obscenities or use any racial, religious, or other epithets. I understand and agree that if I fail to comport myself appropriately and in accordance with the terms of this Release, KIRO may ask me to leave the Event.
I hereby release, waive, discharge and covenant not to sue KIRO-TV, Inc. (“KIRO”), including its owners, agents, officers and employees, from any claim, damage or cause of action of any and all kinds that may arise from or in relation to the Event. I accept any and all risk of injury or property damage that may arise as a result of my attendance at the Event. This Release is binding upon me, my heirs, assigns and successors.
During the Event, I understand and agree that KIRO, its employees, agents or designees, may record and/or take video and/or photos of the Event, including of me. In consideration of the opportunity to attend and participate in the Event and to have image(s) and/or video of me (“Media”) published and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged and received, and without royalties or further compensation, I grant to KIRO and its affiliates and permittees the right to edit and modify the Media and to use and publish the Media, including my image, name and biographical information, in any medium, including TV, radio, print, social, digital and other mediums that may be developed in the future, and including for broadcast of the Event and to promote KIRO’s services. I waive any right to inspect or approve the use and/or publication and release and discharge KIRO, its affiliates and permittees, from any and all claims and demands arising out of or relating to the use of the Media, including any claim for defamation, misappropriation, right of publicity, false light, invasion of privacy and copyright infringement.
I understand and agree that providing my phone and email contact information is optional. I understand that KIRO may use this information to contact me with information about the Event.
I understand that this Release is intended to be as broad in scope and as inclusive as is permitted under Washington law. In the event that any portion of this Release is deemed unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, I agree that this Release shall be amended to achieve its purpose and be as broad as is legally permissible, and, in any event, all other terms of the agreement are to remain in full force and effect.
This Release is the entire agreement between the parties and, as between the parties, supersedes any and all documents, promises or understandings relating to the subject matter hereof. By signing below, I affirm that I have read and understood this Release, that I am of sound mind, at least 18 years of age (or my parent or guardian has signed to affirm their agreement with these terms), and that I agree to the terms of this Release.

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