Deborah Grimes still wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about the tiny device that helped end her son’s life. The cheap conversion part that can turn a basic pistol into something far more lethal is never far from her mind, she told reporters, and haunts me. Her son, Gregory Najee Grimes, was killed outside a downtown Sacramento nightclub in July 2022, a loss that has pushed her out of private grief and into public advocacy for tougher gun laws.
What AB 1127 Would Do
Assembly Bill 1127, written by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last fall, targets the rise of easily modified handguns. The measure would prohibit licensed dealers from selling semi-automatic pistols that state officials say can be “readily converted” into fully automatic weapons with a small after-market device commonly called a “switch,” according to Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel's office. Supporters argue the law forces manufacturers to redesign susceptible models and cuts off a pipeline for conversion parts, a concern detailed in a fact sheet from Everytown for Gun Safety. The statute includes exemptions for law enforcement and a process for gun makers to seek approval for redesigned firearms.
Grimes Family Pushes for Change
Since Najee’s death, his mother has become one of the most visible survivors backing AB 1127. She told FOX40 that knowing a pistol can be turned into a “machine gun” with something as basic as a screwdriver or a 3D-printed part “haunts me.” Instead of retreating from public view, Grimes has partnered with local advocates and national organizations to keep her son’s story in front of lawmakers and the public, using her grief to fuel a push for change.
The Killing and the Sentence
Gregory Najee Grimes, 31, was shot and killed on July 4, 2022, near 15th and L streets in downtown Sacramento, where four others were also wounded in the same burst of gunfire, according to KCRA. Prosecutors charged Tahje Michael in the case; he was arrested in February 2024 and later pleaded no contest to murder and related counts. A judge sentenced him to 25 years to life in August 2025. Off the field, Najee coached at Inderkum High School and, as his family has often reminded the public, was seen as a mentor and steady presence for neighborhood kids.
Legal Challenge Could Delay Enforcement
AB 1127 is already tied up in court. Within days of the governor’s signature, a coalition of gun-rights organizations and several dealers filed a federal lawsuit, Jaymes v. Bonta, seeking to stop the law before it can be enforced. Plaintiffs in the case include the NRA, the Firearms Policy Coalition and independent retailers, according to Ammoland. They argue that the statute effectively bans a wide swath of commercially available handguns that are “in common use,” and therefore runs afoul of recent Supreme Court precedent. Critics from groups such as the California Gun Rights Foundation say AB 1127 is far too broad, while supporters respond that it is a focused public-safety measure aimed squarely at rapid-fire conversion.
For the Grimes family, the legal fight is personal rather than theoretical. They have launched a foundation in Najee’s name and say that, whatever happens in the courts, their priority is keeping his memory alive and pushing for changes they hope will prevent more families from facing the same loss, as KCRA reported. The fate of AB 1127 now rests with the federal judiciary, which will decide how, and even whether, the new restrictions can ultimately be enforced.
