Actor Ashton Kutcher may have unwittingly admitted that he broke California gun laws in one of several Thursday tweets pleading for gun control in the wake of the Thousand Oaks shooting.
Kutcher began by stating that his wife threw him a birthday party last year at Borderline Bar & Grill, where 12 people were killed and at least a dozen others were wounded by a mass shooter early Thursday morning.
My wife threw me a birthday party this year at the Borderline. Only reason we are alive is the shooter chose a different night. My heart goes out to the victims. I’ll say it again… Gun Reform Now! Politicians need to stop standing behind the dollar & Protect the people!
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) November 9, 2018
After a few other tweets stating his case for gun control, Kutcher included a key detail about his personal history with guns that suggests he may have violated California law.
“This isn’t an either/or it’s a both!” Kutcher tweeted. “Support mental health initiatives & support Gun Reform Now!! My friend gave me a gun as a gift in the parking lot of the borderline on my birthday. I’ve never shot it. I don’t think I ever will. [Love] to the families of the lost. Change is coming.”
This isn’t an either/or it’s a both!Support mental health initiatives & support Gun Reform Now!! My friend gave me a gun as a gift in the parking lot of the borderline on my birthday. I’ve never shot it. I don’t think I ever will. [Love] to the families of the lost. Change is coming
— ashton kutcher (@aplusk) November 9, 2018
If the transaction indeed took place in the California restaurant’s parking lot, the actor may have broken a key state law regarding gun transfers. (RELATED: Report: Thousand Oaks Shooter’s Motive May Have Been Gun Control)
A post on NRABlog from 2016 explains the requirements:
There’s no national law that prevents someone from giving firearms to a friend or family member in the same state, but there are plenty of state laws regarding it. For example, states such as California, New York, and Colorado require you to transfer the firearm through a local firearms retailer or FFL, where a background check will be conducted on the person you want to give the gun to. In some states, even the transfer of an old family heirloom can require going through an FFL.
“For nonfamily transactions in California, gun stores act as a middleman and hold onto the gun while the state conducts a background check,” according to RevealNews. “The gun doesn’t actually change hands for at least 10 days while this takes place.”
In Kutcher’s case, it’s a process a bit more complex than a parking lot exchange.