Lawmakers Revisiting Gun Control Laws In Wake Of Conn. School Massacre
NEWTOWN, Conn. (WJZ)—The tragedy in Connecticut has lawmakers revisiting the controversial issue of gun control.
Adam May has more on the debate.
The shooter used a gun his mother bought legally. He used ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage.
What can be done to stop another school attack and save innocent children from being slaughtered?
The Newtown gunman was armed with a Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle built for rapid fire.
"When someone can use an assault weapon to enter a building, have clips of up to 30 rounds on a weapon that can almost instantaneously fire those, you have to start to question whether assault weapons should be allowed to be distributed the way they are in the United States," said Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Democrats in the House and Senate plan to re-introduce the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
"The kinds of things like the Brady Law, the assault weapons ban, limitation to clips, making sure mentally unstable people don't get guns, do not interfere with the fundamental right but at the same time make us safer," said Sen. Charles Schumer.
But other lawmakers believe more guns, not fewer, is the answer.
That includes Texas Republican Louie Gohmert.
"Hearing the heroic story of the principal, I wish to God she had an M4 in her office locked up, so when she hears gunfire she pulls it out and doesn't have to lunge heroically with nothing in her hands, and she takes his out, takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids," said Gohmert.
There's conflicting research on the effectiveness of gun control, and the increase in mass shootings has not swayed a split public opinion.
There's also growing calls to improve mental health access and reduce violence in the media.
Democrats plan to introduce the gun control bills after the New Year.
Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski also says we should revisit mental health access.
