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(MADISON, WI) — Wisconsin has a number of firearm-related laws in effect that limit access for children and individuals with a history of violence, even restricting individuals under 18 from possessing guns, according to state laws.

As many questions remain unanswered in the investigation into why a 15-year-old girl allegedly opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a student and teacher, before apparently taking her own life, according to authorities. Police have not yet revealed whether they have uncovered the motive behind the attack.

Two students were hospitalized in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while another three students and a teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

While police say it remains unclear how the shooter obtained the gun used in the shooting, there are a number of state laws regulating firearms that could be relevant as law enforcement continues its investigation.

Wisconsin state law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from possessing a firearm.

The state has a child access prevention law in place that deems a gun owner guilty of misdemeanor if a child under 14 obtains a firearm without lawful permission from a parent or guardian or if the child discharges the firearm causing bodily harm to anyone.

Criminal penalties do not apply if the gun is securely locked or secured with a trigger lock.

Police said they are not currently looking to charge the shooter’s parents in connection with the deadly shooting.

The state does not have any laws in place that require unattended firearms to be stored a certain way and it does not require that a locking device be sold with a firearm. State laws do not require firearm owners to lock their weapons.

Wisconsin does not require background checks for gun purchases, except to obtain a concealed carry license.

While Wisconsin does not have an extreme risk protection law in place — which would strip individuals of their right to possess arms temporarily if they pose a risk to themselves or others — there are some categories of people who cannot legally possess guns.

Local leaders have called for stronger gun laws with Madison’s mayor stressing the need for gun violence prevention and saying she wants the community and country to make sure “no public official ever has to stand in this position again.”

“I hoped that this day would never come in Madison,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.

Jill Underly, Wisconsin’s superintendent of public instruction, also emphasized the need for change, saying in a statement, “This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to protect our children and our educators to ensure that such horrors never happen again. We will not rest until we find solutions that make our schools safe.”

Anyone convicted of a felony in Wisconsin, convicted of a crime in another state that is a felony in Wisconsin or been found not guilty of a felony by reason of “mental disease or defect” is prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to the Wisconsin Legislative Council’s memorandum on gun laws.

Federal law also prohibits anyone who is a fugitive from justice or someone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing firearms.

Anyone involuntarily committed for mental illness, drug dependance or alcohol dependence is also prohibited from possessing a firearm, according the the memorandum. Anyone adjudicated incompetent by a court in a guardianship proceeding or was ordered into protective placement is also prohibited from possessing a gun.

People subject to certain temporary restraining orders relating to abuse — domestic abuse, child abuse, individual at risk and harassment — are also prohibited from possessing firearms under state law. But the law has a limited scope and does not apply to everyone who has a restraining order against them.

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(NEW YORK) — Jussie Smollett’s attorney said the actor was “harmed substantially” after he was found guilty of lying about a 2019 hate crime in an interview with “GMA3” following the overturning of his conviction.

The Illinois Supreme Court threw out the former “Empire” actor’s conviction in a decision on Thursday after concluding that the state’s prosecution was unfair due to an agreement that initially dropped the charges.

Smollett was first indicted on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, though Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx agreed to drop the charges if he paid $10,000 and did community service. A special prosecutor later charged him again, leading to his trial and conviction.

In its decision on Thursday, the court found that the state could not bring a second prosecution against Smollett after the initial charges were dismissed, and that reneging on the agreement “would be arbitrary, unreasonable, fundamentally unfair, and a violation of the defendant’s due process rights.”

Tina Glandian, Smollett’s attorney, told “GMA3” on Friday that they have been fighting the second prosecution from the start as “completely illegal.”

“It violates numerous constitutional provisions,” she said. “We’ve raised this numerous, numerous times before, various courts. And finally yesterday, the Supreme Court of Illinois agreed with us and said the second prosecution was barred because there was an agreement in place and the state is bound to honor its word.”

The case began after the openly gay actor told police he was attacked by two men while walking on a street near his Chicago apartment early on Jan. 29, 2019. The attackers allegedly shouted racist and homophobic slurs before hitting him, pouring “an unknown chemical substance” on him and wrapping a rope around his neck.

Chicago police said Smollett’s story of being the victim of an attack began to unravel when investigators tracked down two men, brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who they said were seen in a security video near where Smollett claimed he was assaulted and around the same time it supposedly occurred. The Osundairo brothers told police the actor paid them $3,500 to help him orchestrate and stage the crime.

A jury convicted Smollett in December 2021 on five of six felony counts of disorderly conduct stemming from filing a false police report and lying to police, who spent more than $130,000 investigating his allegations.

Dan Webb, who was appointed by a Cook County judge to continue looking into the case after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office initially dropped all charges against the actor, said he was “disappointed” in the court’s decision and noted that the ruling “has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence.”

“The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Mr. Smollett orchestrated a fake hate crime and reported it to the Chicago Police Department as a real hate crime, or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct,” he said in a statement.

Glandian said Smollett continues to maintain his innocence and has “vehemently denied” any participation in a hoax.

“We do believe he didn’t get a fair trial, that the jury didn’t hear all the evidence that should have [been] heard, that things were improperly excluded, that the jury panel was not properly put together,” she said. “The Supreme Court yesterday didn’t get to that issue. They said legally this was invalid. It violated his due process and they, based on that, threw out the conviction. But we still maintain that he didn’t receive a fair trial.”

In the wake of the case, she said Smollett has been releasing music and “continued to do what he does best.”

“I think hopefully, obviously this can only help matters because he was harmed substantially after everything that happened, and of course, the convictions and the sentence that was imposed,” she said.

Webb said that despite the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision, the city of Chicago is still able to pursue its pending civil lawsuit against Smollett in order to recoup the investigation costs.

Glandian said she hopes the city “does the right thing” and dismisses that case.

“He’s incurred substantial legal fees. He spent six days in jail, all of which now has been said by the highest court in Illinois was completely unconstitutional,” Glandian said. “So for the city now to further proceed, we’ll see what they do. But hopefully they dismiss that case immediately.” 

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(LOS ANGELES) — Extreme fire danger is set to threaten Southern California early this week.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued a rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning from Monday night through Wednesday morning. The worst conditions for Los Angeles and Ventura counties will be Monday night through Tuesday.

“Use extra caution with any source of flame,” the National Weather Service advised.

Wind gusts are forecast to climb to 60 to 80 mph and relative humidity could fall to 2% to 15% Monday night through Tuesday night. With these conditions, wildfires could spread very quickly.

“Be ready to evacuate quickly, especially if in canyon, foothill, and mountain areas,” the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management warned.

Winds should finally begin to subside Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night.

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