A proposal in the New York legislature would outlaw all high school shooting-sports programs in the state—including air-rifle teams and archery clubs—on the premise that they feed into a gun and shooting culture that could lead to violence.
The bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat, said she introduced her bill after reports that the suspect in the Valentine’s Day shooting in Parkland, Fla., Nikolas Cruz, honed his gun skills through a program in the same school where he’s accused of killing 17 people.
Rosenthal’s proposal has yet to reach a vote and its prospects in the waning days of the legislative session are uncertain.
Nationally, there are an estimated 5,000 gun clubs at high schools and universities, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
