Local gun control debate reignites following Las Vegas rampage

October 2, 2017 11:39 pm

By John Krinjak

Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com

Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Members of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence met with a mix of heartbreak and frustration over another deadly mass shooting, yet no progress on national gun reform.

"We have real problem in this country. We’re losing way too many of our citizens. Way too many of our citizens are getting hurt by gun violence. We are one of the most violent countries in the world right now and that’s ridiculous. It needs to change," said PJ Fox of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence.

The Coalition says a big part of that change is a ban on semi-automatic assault weapons.

"We don’t give nuclear weapons to dangerous countries, so we shouldn’t be giving weapons of war to dangerous people in our country," said Linda Finn of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence.

It’s a move Gov. Gina Raimondo is pushing for in Rhode Island.

"Let’s use this, finally, as a call to action to take some common sense steps to stop the senseless violence," said Raimondo.

But state GOP leaders say that misses the real issue.

"Rhode Island has some of the toughest gun laws in the country. I don’t repudiate a gun. I repudiate the person who did the shooting," said Rhode Island GOP Chairman Brandon Bell.

They say banning certain guns only hurts responsible gun owners–not criminals.

"There are people that commit violence in any way that they are able to. So I think we have to look at those root causes before we discuss banning other people’s rights," said Rhode Island GOP National Committeewoman Leeann Sennick.

But Wendy Bowen, who taught down the street from Sandy Hook Elementary School on that horrific day, worries inaction will only lead to more tragedies.

"My fear is that people are getting used to it, and that bothers me. Because this is not something that we should get used to, and we should really work on the preventive piece. No one should have that capability as a citizen to take out that many people in such a short amount of time," said Bowen.

Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York have already passed assault weapons bans.