Assemblymember Mike Gipson: Tragic Compton Shootings Drive Home Need for Stronger Gun Control Legislation

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson) says a deadly Fourth of July weekend shooting in Compton that claimed the life of one of his former staff members underscores the urgent need for stronger gun safety laws at both the state and federal levels. 

The shooting was one of several acts of gun violence reported across California over the holiday weekend, renewing debate over firearm regulations and the limits states face in enacting gun control measures. 

At a block party in Compton, a gunman opened fire on a crowd, killing Eric Washington, a former California Assembly aide, and Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, while injuring three others. 

The deaths of Washington and Bordenave-Jenkins left deep wounds in the community. 

Bordenave-Jenkins, 19, was a sophomore studying nursing at the University of Nevada. She was staying with her sister for the summer. 

Her mother, Ebone Jenkins, said her daughter wanted to become a neonatal travel nurse and was active in church.   

Washington served as a field deputy for Gipson before later working for HACLA, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles. To honor his memory, HACLA established the Eric Washington Community Impact Awards. 

Washington’s mother, Tina Johnson, told California Black Media (CBM) that her son was “deeply compassionate” and a “mentor to everyone,” including his own father, whom Washington helped adjust to life after incarceration. She said he was committed to public service and wanted to address gun violence. 

For Gipson, Washington’s death was both personal and political. 

Gipson and Washington worked together for years, united by a shared commitment to reducing gun violence in their communities. Gipson said Washington’s passing has been deeply felt. In 2020, Gipson’s own son, an innocent bystander, was injured in a violentshooting that same year. 

The Compton tragedy also comes as California and other states continue to navigate legal challenges to their authority to regulate firearms. 

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Wolford v. Lopez invalidated portions of a Hawaii law prohibiting people with concealed-carry permits from bringing firearms onto private property that is open to the public without the owner’s consent. 

Supporters of the law say it was intended as a “common sense” measure to limit firearms in public spaces, but the Supreme Court ruled that portions of it violated the Second Amendment. 

Some advocates worry the ruling could weaken states’ ability to enact gun safety legislation. 

Gipson is among those expressing concern. 

“Because of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down protections in Wolford v. Lopez and rule against Hawaii’s common-senselaws, a pattern continues where the U.S. federal government cannot guarantee us the most basic protections,” Gipson told CBM. 

“Taken as a whole, these negligent Washington actions are already leading to more violence – in Watts and other neighborhoods – which directly affects the people Eric Washington worked with during his life,” he added. 

Throughout his legislative career, Gipson has championed firearm regulations aimed at creating safer communities. His official website highlights numerous public safety initiatives, including legislation addressing ghost guns and regulating the open carry of firearms in California. He was among the first California lawmakers to pursue ghost gun regulation through Assembly Bill (AB) 879. 

Currently, Gipson is working to pass AB 2339, the Accuracy in Mental Health Reporting Act. The bill would ensure that “prohibited persons are accurately identified in a timely fashion” and reported to the California Department of Justice to restrict their access to firearms. 

The measure has garnered strong support, including from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who wrote a letter endorsing the legislation. 

“Attorney General Bonta is pleased to co-sponsor your measure, Assembly Bill 2339, and thanks you for your leadership on this important legislation to advance public safety by ensuring that involuntary mental health holds that trigger firearms prohibitions are accurately and timely reported,” the letter reads. 

Gipson is also advancing AB 1943, which is designed to educate families about the safe storage of firearms in the home. His gun safety efforts are supported by organizations including Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action and Everytown. 

While Gipson believes state legislation can reduce gun violence, he argues that meaningful progress also requires stronger federal action. 

“They’re allowing lobbyists to paralyze Washington D.C. from putting forth federal legislation,” said Gipson. “Just doing just the basics, like background checks, putting age limits, red flag warnings—the list just goes on and on. If they would just take just the basics, we can decrease a lot of gun violence.”