Bill Clinton: “Yes, I heard about it. The people of this State are very upset about this. I mean, I had that--I don't know--3,000 or so…”

“Yes, I heard about it. The people of this State are very upset about this. I mean, I had that--I don't know--3,000 or so people out at the airport to meet me, and I was just working through the crowd and literally a dozen people mentioned this case to me. Let me say, first of all, I care a lot about this. My first job in public life was as an attorney general in my State, dealing with criminal procedures. Then I was Governor, and I had to enforce the criminal laws in my State, including the capital punishment law. Most States, years ago, before juvenile crime was the problem it is now, had laws which basically said you couldn't be charged as an adult until you reached a certain age. Many times it was 15 or 16, sometimes more, sometimes earlier. And if you were tried as a juvenile, you had to be released either when you became 18 or 21, and your records would be sealed. You'd sort of be given a new chance. That was before. When these laws were passed, you didn't have teenagers going around gunning people down like you do now. Now, I think you have two or three options. First of all, on this particular case, one thing the State of Rhode Island could do is to pass a law which says that the records of juveniles would not be sealed as it relates to questions under the Brady bill; that is, have you ever been treated for mental illness, have you ever committed a felony or what would have been a felony if you had been an adult? And the State legislature could simply change that law for that purpose and then put those records in. And then the gun store owners and all gun sellers would then be obligated to check that record and not sell a gun to that young man, just like they would be under anybody convicted of a crime as an adult. The second thing I want to say is, I do not know about the constitutionality of this, but another thing you could do is to say, if you want the benefit of the State's juvenile law when you could have been prosecuted as an adult--and if you have a law which permits 15-year-olds to be prosecuted as an adult--you have to be willing to voluntarily undergo psychiatric treatment and get some sort of approval before you are released. Now, those are two things that I would think you ought to consider. But I know on terms of getting--being eligible to buy a gun, you could change that law tomorrow and apply it to this case and this young man and all other people similarly situated. At least you'd have that protection. Those are my best ideas. I think it's an outrageous thing that this kid could get out--apparently has refused all treatment--get out and buy a gun. I think it's wrong.”