Democrat Connecticut senator Chris Murphy immediately responded to last Wednesday’s shootings in Lewiston, Maine, by calling for another “assault weapons” ban.
Robert Card killed 18 people and left 13 injured in two locations.
According to a report, the Maine National Guard requested a welfare check on Robert Card in the middle of September out of worry that he would lose it and start shooting people. On September 16, 2023, agents from the Kennebec County and Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Offices attempted to reach Card. Attempts to make contact by deputies from several sheriff’s agencies were fruitless.
On his social media accounts, Murphy said that another mentally ill individual had committed mass murder with a military-issued semiautomatic gun. Don’t let someone who might harm others get their hands on guns. Ban assault weapons completely.
According to Murphy, if his idea were implemented, mass shootings would decrease without violating anyone’s Second Amendment rights.
Murphy did not elaborate on how restricting access to the most widely owned gun in the nation (used for hunting, target shooting, and self-defense) would not violate the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
Furthermore, he failed to cite the National Institute of Justice’s conclusion that the federal “assault weapons” prohibition (1994–2004) was not responsible for a decrease in crime.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) released a study in 2004, just before the federal so-called “assault weapons” prohibition was about to expire, stating that the ban could not be attributed to any decrease in crime.
Professor Christopher Koper, Author of the NIJ study, was quoted saying that it is unclear whether or not the ban is responsible for any reduction in gun violence in the country. The death toll and injury rate from gun violence have not decreased.
Furthermore, Murphy did not talk about the considerable amount of AR-15s and comparable guns that Americans now possess.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), last year, the number of AR-style rifles in circulation was projected to be 24,446,000. Currently, that figure may be far higher.
