SAN FRANCISCO, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle in the U.S. west state of Washington Friday vowed not to back off in defending the city's new law on gun control amid a lawsuit by pro-gun representatives and groups.
The National Rifle Association (NRA), Bellevue-based Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) and two Seattle residents Friday filed in the state's King County Superior Court over the city's new gun-safety law.
The legal action by the pro-gun groups and representatives came only two days after Durkan signed a bill passed by Seattle's City Council into law on Wednesday, which requires gun owners to lock up their guns.
Durkan voiced her opposition to the lawsuit and pledged to fight for the safety of the public who should not fall victim to gun violence.
"We are taking urgent action to save lives, and the NRA and SAF want to stop it. We will prevail and will continue to push for more protection for our children and community," Durkan tweeted.
She said she is committed to reducing gun violence and standing up for safer communities. "We can't prevent every gun death or injury, we can take steps to help prevent tragedies," she tweeted.
She snubbed the challenge of the pro-gun groups who accused Seattle's ordinance on the requirement of "safe storage" of guns violates a Washington state law, which prevents cities from regulating guns.
"While they go to court - kids go to the hospital," Durkan tweeted.
Under the law signed by the Seattle mayor two days ago, a gun owner in the city could be fined up to 500 U.S. dollars if a firearm isn't locked up, up to 1,000 dollars if a minor, "at-risk person" or unauthorized user accesses the weapon, and up to 10,000 dollars if someone uses the weapon to hurt someone or commit a crime.
The legislation is going to take effect in 180 days.
SAF founder Alan Gottlieb claimed the Seattle city has no authority to pass a gun-control law. "Seattle simply can't break the law to adopt an ordinance as a political statement," he said.
The controversial lawsuit came at a time of heightened national concern around gun safety and mass shootings.
A series of deadly gun-related violence, including the mass shooting in Douglas High School of Florida that killed 17 students and staff members in February this year, have sparked March for Our Lives demonstrations across the U.S. in March, when hundreds of thousands of students joined one of the biggest pro-gun control campaigns in the country since the Vietnam era.
