A Watertown mother is pleading for change. She believes that if Wisconsin's gun laws were different her son would still be alive.
In 2021 her son, Henry Teuteberg, was shot and killed by his father during a parental visit. Henry's father also took his own life. Jennifer Gaspard says the tragedy happened after she raised concerns to police about guns in his home.
Gaspard wrote to TMJ4 to tell us about her petition— which she hopes will urge lawmakers to pass red flag laws.
Henry Teuteberg would have turned 20 this summer. Instead, he is buried in Wisconsin Memorial Park.
"It's heartbreaking, and some days are so bad," said his mother as her voice cracked. "He never got to fall in love, finish high school, get his driver's license, get married, have children. That was all taken away from him."
Now, Gaspard wants Wisconsin to do what 21 other states have done and pass red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, which can allow judges to order the temporary seizure of firearms from someone who they believe is a significant risk to themselves or others.
Watch: Wisconsin mom wants to change state law after son's murder
"This isn't about taking everyone's guns away," continued Gaspard. "This is about — if you know someone that is having problems, psychological problems, or you know a friend that's being abused and you're aware of guns in the house, speak up."
The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, or WAVE, is the state's oldest and largest gun violence prevention organization and says red flag legislation is still relatively new across the country.
"Some of the first states to do it were Connecticut and Indiana," explained WAVE Policy Director Nick Matuszewski. "Those states have shown that their rates of suicide have decreased significantly."
Matuszewski added that Wisconsin's Republican-controlled legislature sidelined the most recent red flag proposal, introduced last summer. "That bill never really moved anywhere, it's still sitting in the state legislature at this point."
To amplify her message, Jennifer Gaspard started a change.org petition, and said, "We need to be heard, we need this law." She's collected more than 30,000 signatures but recognizes why some people might be hesitant to sign it. "It always comes back to the 2nd amendment," she acknowledged.
To explore that, TMJ4 visited Prolific Arms, a gun shop in West Allis that has the phrase "2nd Amendment Advocates" on its logo.
"The spirit of it (red flag legislation) it's in good faith and it makes sense," said the shop's co-owner Theron Rogers.
"I think what we worry about, being 2nd Amendment advocates, and anybody that's pro 2A, we worry about the over-policing of the law," added co-owner Eddie Silas.
Both have some concerns about the way red flag laws might be manipulated when applied. "It will in some way have an impact on the second amendment rights of community members," added Rogers.
These gun shop owners believe education can have the biggest impact on gun violence. 5,000 people have graduated from their firearms safety courses since 2019. "We've sold fewer guns than we've provided education, without a doubt, and that's our main goal," explained Rogers.
To reach a larger audience, they now plan to launch a podcast, titled 'Prolific Conversations'. "We have to have these conversations," said Silas. "It's an absolute must in order for us to make effective change in our community."
They hope to invite law enforcement, lawmakers, and even people who've experienced tragedy, like Jennifer Gaspard, to discuss gun violence solutions.
"Whether you hate guns or you love guns, the fact is, they exist, they're here. So we need to have these conversations," added Silas.
"This is my purpose now. To speak up and try to get this law passed," said Gaspard who is ready to tell Henry's story to anyone who will listen. She remains a mom, on a mission, to give people like her the ability to raise a red flag. "I'm going to keep fighting. I'm gonna just keep on going. I'm not going to stop. I will not stop."
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