Americans still vulnerable to mass shootings by military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines
(New York City, NY) One year after the Aurora, CO movie theater massacre, Americans remain vulnerable to mass shootings with assault weapons and high capacity magazines due to Congress’ failure to enact common sense gun safety legislation.
At the Aurora massacre, 71 Americans were shot and 12 were killed when James Holmes opened fire on a movie theater audience using a Smith & Wesson M&P assault rifle equipped with 100-round magazines. He had earlier purchased 6,000 rounds of ammunition on the Internet.
Congress allowed the assault weapons and high capacity magazine ban to expire in 2004, and has since failed to enact any gun safety laws to limit their use. In April, after both the Aurora shootings and the Newtown, CT massacre – in which the same dangerous weapons equipped with high capacity magazines were used to kill 26 small children and six adults – the Senate defeated proposals that included bans on assault weapons and high capacity magazines as well as background checks on commercial gun sales.
Leah Gunn Barrett, Executive Director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence said, “Congress has failed in one of its most important missions: to keep all Americans safe. By its inaction, Congress allows criminals and the seriously mentally ill to purchase dangerous weapons; it allows the purchase of weapons and ammunition freely over the Internet and at gun shows; and it even allows non-citizens on the terrorist watch list to buy whatever weapons and ammunition they want.” Barrett added, “The sad fact is that an NRA-led Congress has chosen to bury its head in the sand while we continue to bury our citizens, victims of our country’s out-of-control gun culture. Congress should look to states like New York – which this year passed an effective ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, in addition to universal background checks on gun sales – as a model for gun safety.”
About New Yorkers Against Gun Violence
New Yorkers Against Gun VIolence (NYAG) is a statewide advocacy group working to reduce gun violence through advocacy and education designed to encourage action, influence public opinion and lead to policy change. With a primary focus on New York State, the organization also advocates at the local and national levels for sensible gun laws, policies and practices that protect New York state residents from gun violence.
