For Release: Thursday, March 14, 2013
In response to the Senate Judiciary Committee today passing legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, the Violence Policy Center (VPC) issued the following statement by VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann, a native of Newtown, Connecticut:
“The bill to ban assault weapons voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee today would significantly improve public safety. Banning the manufacture of military-style assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines is a necessary step to reduce the firepower currently available to civilians. These weapons are favored by mass shooters, gang members, bank robbers, and international gun traffickers. High-capacity ammunition magazines—whether used in assault weapons or semiautomatic pistols—are the common thread that have run through every major public mass shooting from the massacre at a McDonald’s in San Ysidro, California in 1984 that left 21 dead and 19 wounded to the horrific tragedy last December at Sandy Hook Elementary School that left 20 innocent children and six brave educators dead. Senator Feinstein’s bill is absolutely imperative if we are ever to put a stop to this endless litany of mass shootings.”
See the VPC’s list of mass shootings in which high-capacity ammunition magazines were used here: http://vpc.org/fact_sht/VPCshootinglist.pdf
About the Violence Policy Center
The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
