A number of Democratic presidential candidates called for expanded gun legislation in the wake of the El Paso shooting that left over a dozen people dead.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) spoke with the Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC where he spoke at length about a need for gun control legislation.

“It is common sense that we should have gun licensing in this country. If you need a license to drive a car, you should be licensed to buy and possess a firearm,” Booker said. “We need bold steps and actions like gun licensing and more.”

Likewise, Julián Castro called into CNN and spoke forcefully with Wolf Blitzer reacting to the shooting, rattling off a list of concrete policy proposals for gun reform.

“We need universal background checks so that people that shouldn’t have their hands on a weapon don’t get their hands on a weapon. We need to identify the people that present a threat to themselves or to other people,” Castro said. “We need to limit the capacity of magazines so that someone can’t walk in to an establishment like this and fire off 20 to 25 rounds or however many rounds at a time. We need a renewed assault weapons ban.”

Other candidates posted statements to Twitter or made statements on the shooting.

My heart is with the victims in El Paso, as it was with the victims in Brooklyn and Gilroy last week and all who have suffered from senseless gun violence. We can’t fail our communities like this anymore. @senatemajldr, it’s time to call for an immediate vote on gun reform.

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (@gillibrandny) August 3, 2019

Tonight I’m heartsick for El Paso & I’m once again disgusted by the GOP leadership in Washington. Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear that if they go to Walmart, or a festival, or school, or just walk down the street that they won’t make it home alive. This has to stop.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) August 3, 2019

Sen. ⁦@BernieSanders⁩ on the El Paso shooting. “The American people are overwhelmingly united. And that is gun owners and non-gun owners, in wanting to see the passage of common sense gun safety legislation” video via ⁦@DaniellaMicaela⁩ & ⁦@carolinerkenny⁩ pic.twitter.com/0JKw95ZwUD

— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) August 3, 2019

Oh no. My heart goes out to the families and individuals impacted by the El Paso shooting. We owe them and all Americans common sense gun safety laws. Other societies respond to senseless tragedies – we must do the same. We are better than this.

— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) August 3, 2019

Today innocent people—families—went to that mall in El Paso. Some of them never came home. The U.S. House has passed common sense gun safety legislation. It is long past time to pass it in the Senate. The question to ask: Whose side are you on? The NRA’s or the people’s.

— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) August 3, 2019

Last week it was Gilroy. Today it’s El Paso. How can our country tolerate this? My prayers are yet again with families who are grieving and my thanks are with the first responders, but that is not enough. We must act.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 3, 2019

Heartbroken to hear the news from El Paso. Our thoughts are with those impacted by yet another senseless act of gun violence in America.

How many lives must be cut short? How many communities must be torn apart? It’s past time we take action and end our gun violence epidemic.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 3, 2019

My heart is with the people of El Paso today as they cope with a devastating mass shooting—the scope of which we are still learning.

This attack is a tragic reminder of our government’s failure to do its most basic duty: to protect American lives. We need gun reform now. https://t.co/z0JTng4kVa

— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 3, 2019

Enough. We need to end this national nightmare. Praying for everyone affected by this unspeakable tragedy, and for our country to find the moral courage to take action to end this carnage. https://t.co/vqTMSlbR8j

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 3, 2019

My grandmother used to take me to Cielo Vista Mall. Now it’s one more mass shooting scene. How many more must grieve before we act? #ElPaso

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 3, 2019

We must address the gun violence epidemic that is ravaging our country. Thank you to all the members of law enforcement for their work at the scene. (2/2)

— John Delaney (@JohnDelaney) August 3, 2019

Sending all of our love and strength to the people of El Paso during this terrible tragedy. Thank you to the brave first responders, putting their lives on the line to prevent more from being killed. We can and must come together to prevent these senseless shootings.

— Tulsi Gabbard (@TulsiGabbard) August 3, 2019

Mayor Pete Buttigieg later ascribed the shooting to “white nationalist terrorism,” something that hasn’t been definitively stated as a motive by law enforcement as of now.

Our country is under attack from white nationalist terrorism, inspiring murder on our soil and abetted by weak gun laws. If we are serious about national security, we must summon the courage to name and defeat this evil.

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) August 3, 2019

Watch above, via CNN and MSNBC.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2Ksxqoj