San Diego Police Officer Jesse Rippy recalls his most memorable incident with a gun while on duty. A child at an elementary school in Normal Heights texted his mother that another student in the classroom had a gun.

The mother called the cops and when Rippy arrived in the classroom, he asked all the kids to put their hands on the desk.

“There was one little boy sitting in the back who didn’t put his hands up,” Rippy said. “I knew he was the one with the gun.”

Rippy said the firearm belonged to his father and was given to the child for protection.

According to those in favor of guns, the problem is not the gun but the person behind the weapon. In addition, pro-gun San Diegans said the passing of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Assault Weapons ban of 2013 would not help decrease gun violence.

If put into law, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2013 will make it illegal for California citizens to own military-style assault weapons and guns with a magazine, an external compartment that holds the gun’s ammunition.

Rippy said he thinks the ban would not decrease gun violence but actually increase it since this has happened in cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. where similar weapon bans have been put into place.

California already has some of the strictest guns laws in the country, said Gabe James, the armor manager at San Diego Police Equipment. A store that mainly sells firearms to police officers and those in military but is also open to the public.

In order to purchase a firearm, an individual must undergo a background check that looks at criminal and mental health history. The laws become more complicated based on what type of gun is purchased.

To purchase a long rifle or shotgun, the individual must be 18 years or older and have a current California I.D. To buy a handgun, the individual must be 21 years old, have a current California I.D. with a second proof of residency, and must take a handgun safety course.

In addition, there is the “cool down” law. This law makes it so the purchaser of the gun cannot pick up the gun until after 10 days.

The cool down law is set in place so that an individual who is thinking about committing a crime has time to think about it and hopefully reconsider, Rippy said.

California resident and United States Marine veteran Mike Stack is a firearm owner passionate against California’s gun laws.

“I have a problem with California, especially Mrs. Dianne Feinstein,” Stack said.

Stack said he is angry that after serving this country in the Marines, Senator Feinstein is trying to take away guns from veterans because she believes they are too unstable to handle guns. In addition, he thinks it is unfair since Feinstein has a concealed firearm permit herself.

“She carries a weapon 24/7 and is authorized to do so,” Stack said. “She also has armed guards. So if I can’t protect myself, why does she have the authority to do so?”

Like Stack, James, the manager at SDPE, is upset with Feinstein.

“Diane Feinstein seems to be an advocate of no guns anywhere,” James said. “If she had it her way all guns would be illegal. She’s trying to find loopholes in the current laws and fill them in with things that make them illegal.”

James said that if Feinstein’s bill were to pass, nearly all firearms would become illegal since it is very rare to find a gun without a magazine.

“I am concerned about what my government officials are trying to do,” Stack said. “It scares the hell out of me.”

While other citizens support government officials and their efforts to increase gun safety. Native Canadian Elizabeth Tudhope, who is now a California citizen, has a hard time understanding some of the United State’s gun laws and why they are not stricter.

For instance, Tudhope said a lot of Canadians get stopped at the border going into the U.S. for having Kinder eggs, a chocolate egg with a toy inside for children, because they are illegal.

“I think it says a lot about our protection laws when guns are legal but candy is not,” Tudhope said.

According to Tudhope, Canadians have a different mentality towards guns and it has taken her sometime to understand some American’s obsession with guns.

“There is no concept of the right to bear arms [in Canada],” Tudhope said.

Tudhope said she thinks guns will never be fully banned in the U.S. because of the 2^nd Amendment.

“I get it’s a part of America’s soul,” Tudhope said.

However, Tudhope does support stricter gun laws like Feinstein’s assault weapon ban.

Tudhope said in mass shooting situations like Columbine and Sandy Hook lives can be saved if people have the opportunity to get away from the shooter when the gunman takes time to reload the gun’s ammunition.

“That little bit of time minimizes destruction,” Tudhope said. “You shouldn’t be able to blow a bunch of people away in 30 seconds.”

California citizen Jessica Gonzalez goes a bit farther with stricter gun laws.

“If it were up to me, no one would have guns,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said she thinks guns put others at too great of a risk with the chance of being shot.

James said even if these types of laws are put into place, it does not mean they will be followed. The magazine’s safety feature that slows down the time it takes to reload the gun can be easily removed by taking off a few screws, said James.

“The criminal isn’t going to use the California legal gun that slows him down,” James said. “He’s going to use an illegal one.”

The gun brought to the Normal Heights elementary school was also illegal and stolen.

However, Officer Rippy does believe gun violence can be reduced in schools but said a gun ban is not the answer.

“Provide firearm safety courses to gun owners and place armed guards in the schools,” Rippy said.