JFK Grandson Wants To Fine States If Their Guns End Up At NYC Crime Scenes

Jack Schlossberg wants states with weak gun laws to pay up when their firearms show up at New York crime scenes.

The 32-year-old grandson of President John F. Kennedy is running for the 12th Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Jerry Nadler. His proposal, dubbed the “Ricochet Rule,” would impose financial penalties on states that fail to conduct strong background checks for gun buyers, the New York Post reported.

The collected funds would go to federal investigators at the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“We’re not saying anything about the Second Amendment,” Schlossberg told the Post. “There’s an illegal flow of guns into states across the country from a couple states with weaker gun laws. We should at least have a penalty to make sure that we can fund enforcement of this common sense idea.” (RELATED: JFK Grandson Jack Schlossberg Decides Congress Needs Him, Mom Reportedly Not So Sure)

JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg wants to hit some states for guns flowing to NYC https://t.co/I10MJeAC9V pic.twitter.com/fWOsWgUAuf

— New York Post (@nypost) December 20, 2025

The liberal candidate said a “gun epidemic” in New York drove his proposal.

“We’re calling it the ‘Ricochet Rule’ because guns ricochet into New York from other states but accountability should as well,” he said.

ATF data from 2017 to 2021 shows New York recovered 27,407 crime-related guns during that period. Of those, 21,863 crossed state lines, with 68% coming from states without background check requirements.

Schlossberg has not determined the penalty amount but said it must be “significant enough to incentivize them to cooperate.”

“I think we should be trying to do something about this problem, not just when it’s in the news,” he said. “We can’t stop, we can’t forget. We’ve got to keep it up, because we’re not powerless.”