Stop Handgun Violence Response to Buffalo, NY Tops Friendly Market Shooting;

Boston, MA– Today, news of another mass shooting broke. According to the Gun Violence Archive this is the 198th mass shooting with four or more victims this year.  The details of this horrific incident are continuing to emerge, but initial reports indicate that the gunman wearing body armor used a military style assault weapon to kill at least ten people and injure three others in a racially motivated attack.

New York has strong gun laws that prohibit the possession of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones reportedly used in this attack. However, upstate New York neighbors, like Ohio and Pennsylvania do not.

“While the details of this horrific massacre continue to emerge, our hearts and thoughts are with victims of this attack and the Buffalo community” said John Rosenthal, founder and chairman of Stop Handgun Violence. “While the shooter’s motives are still unclear, one thing is blatantly obvious: It is time for federal legislation on firearms. Without a national ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, states with strong gun laws will continue to fall victim to the laws of their neighbors. The gun lobby’s unconscionable priority of guns over lives has disastrous consequences. Over 90 Americans die each day due to gun violence and the unrestricted access to firearms in this country is a dangerous policy with dangerous consequences.”

 

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