For Release: Thursday, July 3, 2014
Washington, DC — On Wednesday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed legislation that would have changed the limit on the capacity of ammunition magazines from 15 rounds to 10. Violence Policy Center Legislative Director Kristen Rand issued the following statement:
“Governor Christie has chosen to put gun industry profits ahead of saving lives. A ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines would protect law enforcement and the general public, and it would limit the firepower available to criminals and mass shooters. By vetoing this bill, Governor Christie has turned his back on an opportunity to improve public safety in communities across the state.”
Since 1984, there have been at least 12 mass shootings in the U.S. where the killer used magazines holding between 10 and 15 rounds. One of them was the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead and 17 wounded.
Below is a VPC fact sheet on mass shootings in the United States since 1984 involving high-capacity ammunition magazines (more than 10 rounds):
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.
