Steinhardt Responds to Phillipsburg Shooting & Attorney General’s Misguided Response

Senator Doug Steinhardt responded to Attorney General Matt Platkin’s misguided response to a shooting related to domestic violence that occurred in Phillipsburg this weekend.

“While the police are still investigating the incident in Phillipsburg this past weekend, we already know that the assailant used an illegally possessed handgun in the attack,” said Steinhardt (R-23) “As I’ve said many times previously, we are not doing enough to address the fact that most gun crimes are committed with crime guns by known criminals like Alkabir Boone. It’s hard to deal with gun crime when you let repeat gun offenders off the hook with slaps on the wrist, bail reform, probation, early release, and a kiss on the cheek. I’m disappointed that the Attorney General’s response wasn’t to address that failure to hold criminals accountable but to attack the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding New Jerseyans.”

According to the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, the assailant, Alkabir Boone, had five prior arrests over the past 15 years for simple assault, resisting arrest (twice), unlawful possession of a handgun (2nd degree), and conspiracy to manufacture/distribute a controlled dangerous substance (3rd degree).

Rather than addressing the fact that a felon with multiple convictions ignored New Jersey’s gun laws to illegally possess a handgun and commit more gun crimes, Attorney General Matt Platkin saw it as an opportunity to highlight his intentions to broadly disarm New Jerseyans.

Following the incident, the Attorney General tweeted, “I remain committed to getting guns out of homes and off our streets.”

“Like Governor Murphy and fellow Democrats, the Attorney General fails to see any distinction between repeat criminals who commit violent crimes and law-abiding New Jerseyans who have a 2nd Amendment right to protect themselves from those criminals,” said Steinhardt. “Thankfully, as a result of the Bruen decision, more people, including female victims of domestic violence, will have the right to protect themselves legally with a firearm both inside and outside their homes.”