Experts Champion Bans On High-Capacity Magazines: They Take Mass Shootings ‘To A Whole Other Level Of Carnage’
The high-capacity magazines are "the primary driver for why we’re seeing more mass shootings more regularly," said David Chipman, who served 25 years as a special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In other gun violence news: suburban voters want Republicans to act on new regulations; officials thwart three possible attacks over the weekend; "ecofascism" and its link to mass shootings is growing; and more.
The Washington Post:
As Mass Shootings Rise, Experts Say High-Capacity Magazines Should Be The Focus
It took a shooter all of 32 seconds to spray 41 rounds outside a popular bar in Dayton, Ohio, this month, an attack that killed nine people and injured 27. A lightning-fast response from nearby officers prevented a far higher toll: When police shot him dead, the killer still had dozens of bullets to go in his double-drum, 100-round magazine. The use of such high-capacity magazines was banned in Ohio up until 2015, when a little-noticed change in state law legalized the devices, part of an overall rollback in gun-control measures that has been mirrored in states nationwide. (Witte, 8/18)
The Associated Press:
Suburban Voters Are Pressuring Republicans To Act On Guns
Following the news has grown stressful for Angela Tetschner, a 39-year-old nurse raising four children in this sprawling Phoenix suburb of tile roofs, desert yards, young families and voters who are increasingly up for grabs. “Sometimes I do think about the school shootings,” said Tetschner, who doesn’t pay much attention to politics but has been disappointed in President Donald Trump, days after sending her 5-year-old boy to kindergarten. She’d like to see Congress tighten gun laws, but her expectations for action are low. (Cooper, 8/19)
CNN:
There Could Have Been Three More Mass Shootings If These Men Weren't Stopped, Authorities Say
Authorities this weekend announced they had foiled three potential mass shootings after arresting three men in different states who expressed interest in or threatened to carry them out. All three cases were brought to authorities' attention thanks to tips from the public. Here's what we know about them. (Andone, Kaur and Holcombe, 8/19)
Politico:
Beto O’Rourke Says El Paso Shooting Was A ‘Consequence’ Of Trump
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke said Sunday the mass shooting in his hometown of El Paso was a "consequence and cost" of President Donald Trump. “It wasn't until that moment that I truly understood how critical this moment is and the real consequence and cost of Donald Trump,” O’Rourke said on NBC's “Meet the Press.“ (Kullgren, 8/18)
The Washington Post:
Two Mass Killings A World Apart Share A Common Theme: ‘Ecofascism’
Before the slaughter of dozens of people in Christchurch, New Zealand, and El Paso this year, the accused gunmen took pains to explain their fury, including their hatred of immigrants. The statements that authorities think the men posted online share another obsession: overpopulation and environmental degradation. The alleged Christchurch shooter, who is charged with targeting Muslims and killing 51 people in March, declared himself an “eco-fascist” and railed about immigrants’ birthrates. The statement linked to the El Paso shooter, who is charged with killing 22 people in a shopping area this month, bemoans water pollution, plastic waste and an American consumer culture that is “creating a massive burden for future generations.” (Achenbach, 8/18)
The Washington Post:
Virginia Commission Kicks Off Two Days Of Hearings On Gun Bills
Virginia’s Crime Commission will devote two days this week to mass shootings and other gun violence, issues vexing a state where 32 died in a university massacre a dozen years ago, where another 12 were cut down at a municipal complex in May and where an average of three more were lost to less sensational shootings every day in between. Over day-long hearings Monday and Tuesday, the commission will hear from law enforcement officials, academics and activists. State delegates and senators will be there, too, presenting about 60 bills proposed for a special legislative session on guns that Republicans ended abruptly in July. (Vozzella, 8/18)
Miami Herald:
Influencers: Florida Schools Aren’t Safe Enough
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, enacted after a gunman killed 17 students and faculty, enabled local sheriffs — at the discretion of school districts — to establish a program to train school employees as armed guards. The legislation also mandated that the state implement new incident-reporting tools and security risk assessment programs, while a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis this year removed a provision from the first piece of legislation that barred classroom teachers from serving as armed guards.But last month a statewide grand jury report said some districts have yet to fully comply. (Gross, 8/19)
Politico:
Rival Gun Groups Look To Fill The NRA's Void
As the National Rifle Association flounders, some upstart pro-gun groups see an opportunity to become the nation’s most influential gun rights organization. The groups say they’re attracting new members and raking in donations. They’re hiring additional staff to work on grassroots advocacy and lobbying. One is going so far as to discuss at a conference in September how to fill the void left by the NRA, which has struggled to address internal squabbles and accusations of financial mismanagement. (Levine and Arkin, 8/18)
